Chapter 16

I opened my eyes and found Allen sleeping. He was sitting on the chair while his head rested on the bed. He must have fallen asleep while waiting. His face looks so serene when he's asleep.

He knows now. What should I do? I'm not allowed to tell him the truth.

Don't tell him if you don't want her to die.

I don't want to lie but I have to. I don't want her to die. I badly want to tell him yet I can't. It will be hard to avoid but there is a way though so he could stop asking. I don't want to pretend but it is needed to be done.

"Alyce?"

"Who are you?"

"It's me, Allen. Can't you remember?"

He suddenly became worried after hearing my question.

"I don't know you at all. Where am I? Why am I here?"

"You're in the infirmary. You were wounded during battle. Can you not really remember?"

"I don't and why the hell was I in a battle. Where are my father and older brother?"

"They are at your home."

"Why am I not there?"

"What can you remember about yourself? What's your full name?"

"My name is Alyce Alsworth. I live with my father and older brother ever since my mother died. I am fifteen years old born and born British."

"Isn't your name Alyce Wynne?" said Allen while feeling confused.

"Wynne is my mother's maiden name. How'd you know that?"

"That's what you called yourself."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know but that's what you called yourself when we met."

"Can you please explain why am I here and why was I involved in a battle?"

"You work here. And you're twenty years old not fifteen. You said that you left your home when you were fifteen and after that you worked here for five years."

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't recall working here. And why would I leave my home?"

"I am talking about the truth. Why don't you remember?"

"Do you think I would know that? You said I'm twenty years old and I can't even recall what happened in the past five years. And you keep asking that question, it's getting annoying. Is it not obvious that I don't seem to remember? And hell you might actually be fooling me. Bring me back home."

"I am not lying and sorry if I annoy you by asking that question repeatedly. I'm just worried."

"Why the hell should you be worried about me? I don't even know you."

"I already said that I'm Allen, didn't I?"

"I still don't know you."

"I work with you."

"And what type of work would that be?"

"We work as exorcists."

"What the hell's that? You're speaking nonsense."

"I'm not. We take care of the akuma that's harming the people."

"Why am I involved with such things? I'm just an ordinary nobleman's daughter that was supposedly married off when I was fifteen."

"You were?"

"Yeah I was. And if you are indeed telling the truth that five years passed, he probably went and married someone else already. It's a good thing I don't care about him but it must have affected father's business and connections. Can I go home now?"

"You're still recovering."

"So? I need to go home."

"Exorcists aren't allowed to keep contact with friends and relatives outside the order."

"I don't recall being one so tell me where are we?"

"We're at the order."

I got up despite the pain.

"Where's the way out?"

"You're still recovering. Stay in bed."

"No way! I don't like being cooped up in bed."

"I'm afraid you'll have to until you fully recover," said the nurse who suddenly appeared.

"I don't want to."

I got up and ran towards the door. I was about to get out until I was pulled by Allen to stop me from leaving.

"Let me go!" I screamed.

"You're still recovering."

"I feel fine. Let go!"

"You're bleeding."

"Am not! Let go!"

"What's the commotion here?" said Lavi as he entered the room.

"Alyce is trying to get out but she's still recovering. Help me place her on the bed."

"Okay."

Lavi helped out.

"Let go!"

They placed me on the bed and held me so that I won't run off.

"Hold her still," said the nurse as she injected something that made me feel sleepy. I calmed down and stopped fighting.

"What happened here?" asked Lavi. "She wouldn't usually try to get out when recovering."

"She can't remember being an exorcist. She thinks that we may be holding her against her will."

"How much did she forget?"

"Five years of her life."

"That's bad."

"I know."

"Do you think she'll remember anything?"

"I'm not sure but I am hoping."

*Allen's point of view

How am I supposed to know the truth now? She can't remember anything. She didn't seem to be lying yet there's a possibility but why should she? Is she avoiding to tell me the truth? And if she is, why?

She didn't seem to be lying so she could be telling the truth about forgetting. And yet why should it matter so much to me if she remembers? It's better this way, right? I don't need to feel the pain of rejection then … yet I long to hear the truth.

Why am I even asking? I'm just kidding myself. I mean who would actually want to have a younger brother like me? I'm cursed, I look older than my age because of this hair, my eye creeps out other people and this arm scares the hell out of people. Who would want to be related to me? That was the reason why I was abandoned to begin with. Why am I even longing to hope that not everyone from my family abandoned me on purpose? I don't even have a family besides Mana and the order yet not every one of them accepts me, only a few.