The Name She didn't Recognise

Light filled the room… yet everything felt distant, blurred — as if she were looking at the world through a thin veil. Shadows and shapes moved around her, but nothing felt real.

A strange heaviness weighed down her body.

Before she could gather her thoughts, a sudden warmth pulled her in.

A middle-aged woman rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

“Shen… you’re awake… thank God…”

Her voice trembled, filled with relief — and fear, deep enough to feel like she had almost lost something irreplaceable.

Shen froze.

The embrace felt real.

Familiar.

But her mind refused to recognize it.

Who… is she?

The door opened.

A doctor entered, followed by a nurse.

“She’s conscious,” the doctor said, relief evident in his tone.

He stepped closer. “How are you feeling?”

Shen hesitated. Her voice came out weak.

“I… I’m fine.”

But even she didn’t believe it.

Gradually, her vision began to clear.

Faces came into focus.

And then she noticed them.

Two young men stood at a distance.

They didn’t move closer.

Didn’t speak.

But both of them were watching her.

Their expressions were calm — controlled, almost unreadable.

Too controlled.

One stood with his posture straight, arms relaxed at his sides… yet his fingers curled slightly, as if holding back something he refused to show.

The other remained still, his gaze steady on her, quiet but heavy — as if he had been waiting for this moment far too long.

There was no panic.

No visible emotion.

And yet—

When the doctor said she was stable, both of them reacted at the same time.

A faint shift.

The tension in their shoulders eased.

Their breathing softened.

Relief.

Silent, restrained… but real.

They didn’t step forward.

Didn’t call her name.

Didn’t ask questions.

But the distance between them and her no longer felt cold.

It felt… careful.

As if getting too close might break something fragile.

The doctor began his check-up while the nurse assisted him silently.

After a moment, a serious middle-aged man spoke,

“How is Lu Shen?”

The name echoed in Shen’s mind.

Lu… Shen?

The doctor nodded. “She is stable. No major complications. With proper rest, she should recover within one to two months.”

A wave of relief spread through the room.

But Shen’s mind was elsewhere.

“Lu… Shen…” she whispered.

Then she looked up, confusion clear in her eyes.

“…Who is Lu Shen?”

Silence fell instantly.

Shock passed through every face in the room.

The doctor quickly responded, his tone calm but controlled.

“This is due to memory loss caused by the coma. It’s temporary. With time, your memories should return.”

The check-up ended soon after.

The atmosphere slowly settled.

But for Shen, nothing felt settled.

Everything felt unfamiliar.

Uncertain.

Wrong.

Her gaze shifted back to the woman beside her — the one who had hugged her so tightly.

That same strange familiarity lingered.

“…What happened to me?” Shen asked softly.

The woman paused.

Just for a second.

But Shen noticed.

“It was… an accident,” she said.

“You fell from the stairs at your academy.”

Her voice was steady.

Too steady.

Her eyes didn’t meet Shen’s.

Something felt off.

Shen couldn’t explain it.

She had no memories to rely on.

No reason to doubt.

And yet—

Her heart refused to accept it.

Before she could ask anything more, the doctor spoke again.

“You need rest.”

The nurse stepped forward, adjusting the IV before handing her medication.

“Take this,” she said gently.

Shen didn’t resist.

One by one, everyone left the room.

No one said much.

No one stayed.

Even the two young men left quietly — without a word.

The nurse adjusted her blanket carefully, dimmed the lights, and gave her a final glance.

“Rest well.”

The door closed.

Silence filled the room.

Shen stared at the ceiling.

Names she didn’t recognize.

Faces that felt familiar.

Answers that didn’t feel true.

The medicine slowly pulled her into sleep.

Her eyes grew heavy.

Her breathing softened.

But even as darkness took over—

one thought refused to fade.

That wasn’t the truth.

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