Chapter 1

“Happy 18th birthday!” Gail, excited and beaming, stands next to the birthday celebrant. 

It is Jeremy, the youngest son of the famous and influential Tony and Leona Sean. “Thanks,” he replies, dry and soulless. 

“Hey! Have fun!” She hands him a wine glass and raises hers in the air. 

But Jeremy refuses to clink their glasses. “I should not drink. Will test drive later.”

No hurt feelings though, Gail still dazzles with a smile, drinking her wine in silence. She already expected that her childhood friend wouldn’t join the guests in the garden no matter what and wouldn't be drinking even though he didn't receive a new car from his dad, for he had no plans to celebrate his 18th birthday. It’s her stubborn desire to throw him a party, and because he is Jeremy Sean after all, he did show up out of courtesy. 

“Isn’t it boring to test drive your new car alone?” Gail drops the magic words, hoping for the guy to ask her to join him on the road.

Jeremy faces her, no interest flickering in his expression. “What are you doing here anyway? You’re the host. Go back there and entertain your guests.”

“Come on, Jeremy..” Gail smiles so sweetly. “They are your guests. You’re the birthday celebrant, you should be the one--”

“Who insisted on having this useless party?”

“Useless??” Her honey-dripping smile fades. 

He stares at her, but before he could hush her with another harsh truth, Gail links arms with him so suddenly and tightly he is caught off guard, making it easy for her to take him to the garden.

“I prepared something for you, I’m sure you will love it,” she whispers. 

No more chance to escape from her, Jeremy just sighs in annoyance while making their way through the maze of the guests partying like crazy. As they stand in the center, Gail signals the DJ to stop the music.

Abrupt silence fills the night air. Everyone gathers around them, all eyes on Jeremy. 

“Man, I smell trouble. Let’s go get Jeremy.” Ken leaves the poolside first, then Chris follows behind him. They are Jeremy's best friends. 

To the garden, they hurry to rescue their best friend from Gail’s foolishness only to pause when the huge screen behind the DJ booth suddenly flashes blinding lights and plays a video message. 

A very familiar video message. 

“Happy birthday, my dearest son! I am recording this right now while taking some rest. Your dad, brother and I have been preparing for a surprise party for you. We looked forward to this day, and finally it has come. Happy birthday, my son! Though I always tell you how much I love you, I’m still gonna say it. I love you, Jeremy, and your mom will always do.”

Jeremy freezes in torment, heart shattering to pieces. 

The screen goes blank again. Dead silence scatters through the air. The guests are deeply moved, but not Jeremy, even his two best friends, because the video is only a clear recall of his devastating 14th birthday.

“How is it?? Have I touched your heart?” 

That is such a stupid question, Jeremy stares at Gail with his eyes dimming in sorrows. 

“I’m asking you. How is-- Oh gosh!” Gail shakes him in delight, ignorant of Jeremy’s growing pain. “You’re teary-eyed! You love my surprise, don't you?”

Jeremy keeps his silence, suppressing the torment by clenching his fists inside his side pockets. Suddenly, the music blasts again. It’s Chris and Ken’s doing. They have just signaled the DJ to do it to rescue their best friend from Gail’s stupid and heartless surprise. When the guests go back to partying, Jeremy hurries out of the garden. 

But Gail races behind him. “Jeremy! Shouldn’t you be thanking me??”

He plays deaf and walks even faster. 

“What the hell is wrong with you??” Gail won’t leave him alone. 

Already losing it, Jeremy halts his speedy steps and turns to her, eyes tearing up in terrible pain. “What’s wrong with me?? Can’t you tell?? Did we just become friends yesterday??” 

“I.. I thought you would like my present.. Don’t you miss your mom??”

Mom. Such a word feels like the sharpest dagger piercing him mercilessly. Jeremy turns around and rushes to his car.

But Gail won’t really let him leave. She stands by the car door to block him from getting inside. “Please, don’t be like this..”

Jeremy stares at her with resentment. “You know what happened four years ago, and you completely know the torment it will cause me if I see that video again.” 

Gail pauses, realizing she has just made a big mistake. But she won’t apologize for causing him pain, for she can’t dare crush her ego. She is Gail Andrews, and it will kill her to say sorry. 

“Move.” His firm voice, filled with grave and pain, has Gail stepping to the side. As he hurries inside his car, he slams the door shut and drives away in fury. 

Chris and Ken never follow him, for they completely know that they need to let him cool off in situations like this. Jeremy has his own way of dealing witth heavy and unsettling emotions, and it's always the same. Driving to nowhere until he feels better. 

In so much pain, he hits the late night roads aimlessly. Thanks to Gail, he has just experienced a terrible birthday again, like his devastating birthday four years ago. He tightens his grip on the steering wheel and speeds up when the night sky suddenly grieves with him, pouring heavy rain. But the downpour won’t stop him from driving with fury until he reaches an uphill road that overlooks beautiful and tranquil scenery. 

He pulls over. The rain stops as well. He opens the window to gaze at the night view before him. Oddly enough, with the cold breeze embracing him with gloom and sadness, he feels a little better, for there’s this inexplicable solace surrounding the place. 

He gets out of the car and stands on the fenced cliff. The majestic view is both tranquil and melancholic. Sleeping cities, faint dazzles, blinking lights. It is like a calming painting with a sorrowful and lonely feeling. 

“H..Heron.. W..Where.. are.. y..you..? H..Heron..?” A shaky voice suddenly cries out, disturbing the deep silence floating in the misty air. 

Jeremy stiffens in shock. He can hear the voice clearly, and it is crying out someone’s name again. He turns around and follows the voice despite the fear covering him. It’s from the front of his car.

Shivers crawl on him the instant he sees someone lying there. A girl drenched not only in the rain but in so much blood. She’s almost lifeless. In a split of a second, his gruesome 14th birthday flashes before him. Such a memory is so horrible and devastating he breaks into pieces. 

The girl wails this time, putting Jeremy back in the moment. He ignores his own trauma and hurries over to her. But as he bends down to carry her, the girl’s cold and trembling hand touches his face with pain and longing. 

“H..Heron..? Y..You.. a..are.. a..alive??” She cries smilingly but sorrowfully. “Y..You are.. a..alive.. I’m.. g..glad.. y..you a..are.. alive..”

That freezes Jeremy on his knee, for he could not understand why the girl’s longing deeply resonates with him. But he refuses to wander in confusion as for now. He has to rescue her while he can. He won’t forgive himself if another person dies in his arms again.

Hastily, he carries the girl in the backseat, then drives away. Like the flashes of lightning in the dark sky, the car hits the road with blazing speed, enabling him to save the stranger from dying.

The morning is about to break when Jeremy leaves the hospital. With the girl’s black dress that was handed to him, he goes straight to the town to have it dry cleaned. Upon getting it back, he rushes to his car and checks if there are pockests on it. There is, on the right waistline. 

Nervously, he puts his hand in the pocket and finds something right away. A piece of paper, ancient-looking as if it has been kept for centuries. He unfolds the paper with haste, and to his big surprise, it has a sketch of him. Every stroke of the black ink can tell it’s really his face, for it’s clear and precise. 

Exactly a month later. 

“What’s your decision now?” Ken asks Jeremy as soon as the doctor leaves them in the hallway. 

Early this morning, Rina, the girl’s nurse, had just finished her daily monitoring when she suddenly remembered the black silk thread bracelet the patient was wearing when she was rushed to the emergency room a month ago. Wanting to put it back on her, Rina hurried to the nurses’ room and took the bracelet from her drawer. As soon as she returned to the VIP Room, she carefully put the bracelet around the girl’s wrist. And at that exact moment, the patient miraculously woke up. 

Upon receiving such good news, Jeremy and his two best friends drove all the way to their hometown only to hear from Dr. David that the patient got diagnosed with amnesia. A total memory loss. 

“First, I need to be home, so please do me a favor,” Jeremy tells the two guys, then he hands them his bank card. “For the hospital bills and everything she will be needing for her everyday use.”

“Get it, bro,” Chris responds. “But where is she staying though?” 

“In our place.”

Chris and Ken glance at each other, surprised by Jeremy’s unexpected decision.

“No problem with us if she stays there. It’s your own place anyway.” It’s Ken. “But are you sure you’re okay with that?” 

“Yes,” Jeremy answers without any hint of hesitation. “I’ll be back to Lewis City tomorrow morning,” he says, then hurries out of the hallway. 

The next day.