Chapter 1 Introduction

Eiran remembers his house.

It is warm. Not bright, but soft

The kind of warmth that stays even when the sun is gone.

He remembers the sound of the floor when someone walks across it. The smell of something cooking. A window that lets in orange light in the afternoon. He cannot remember faces clearly, but he knows there were voices. Calm voices. Safe ones.

It feels far away, like a dream that fades when you try to hold it.

Then the warmth breaks.

Eiran is running.

His chest burns. His breath comes out fast and uneven. The ground beneath his feet is rough, covered with roots and stones. Branches scratch his arms as he pushes through them. Leaves hit his face. The forest is too big. Too dark.

He does not know why he is running.

Only that he must not stop.

His heart beats so loud it hurts his ears. His legs feel heavy, but fear keeps them moving. The trees blur together. Shadows stretch and twist around him.

Something is wrong.

Something is chasing him.

Or maybe something already caught him.

His foot hits a root.

The world tilts.

Eiran falls forward. Pain explodes in his head as it hits the ground. For a moment, he sees white—brighter than the sun. Louder than sound.

Then everything goes black.

When Eiran opens his eyes, the forest is gone.

He is lying on a smooth floor. It is cold beneath his back. The air smells clean. Too clean. He sits up slowly, his head throbbing.

The room is white.

Not just the walls. Everything. The floor. The ceiling. No shadows. No corners. It feels endless, like the room never really ends.

Eiran stands. His legs shake. He looks around, searching for a door. A window. Anything.

There is nothing.

A mirror stands against one wall.

He steps closer and freezes.

The boy in the mirror looks wrong.

His orange hair is messy and tangled. His face is pale. There are small cuts and bruises on his skin. His eyes look tired. Older than he feels.

“Is that… me?” he whispers.

The reflection does not answer.

A soft sound fills the room. Footsteps.

Eiran turns.

A woman stands behind him.

She smiles.

“Good morning,” she says gently. “You’re awake.”

Her voice is calm. Warm. Like the house in his memory.

“Who are you?” Eiran asks. His throat feels dry.

She steps closer, careful not to scare him. “You can call me Mom.”

The name feels strange. Heavy.

“Where am I?” he asks.

Mom looks around the room, then back at him. “You’re home.”

Home.

Eiran looks at the white walls again. At the empty space. His chest tightens.

“I don’t remember coming here,” he says.

“That’s okay,” Mom replies softly. “You’ve been through a lot. Sometimes our minds forget things to protect us.”

She places a hand over her heart. “You’re safe now.”

Safe.

Eiran wants to believe her. His head still hurts. His body feels weak. The forest feels far away, like it never existed.

But deep inside him, something feels wrong.

If this is home,

why does it feel like he is trapped?

Mom smiles again. “Rest for now. Everything will make sense soon."

Eiran nods, even though questions fill his mind.

As Mom turns to leave, he notices something strange.

There is no door.

And when she disappears, the room stays just as white, just as quiet, as before.

Eiran sits down slowly.

Somewhere in his chest, fear begins to grow.

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