Chapter 16: The story of a girl forgotten by everyone

‘I was confused.’

[Oh, girl, lost in unreason, who has forgotten herself.]

‘What is that black entity, calling me a girl?’

‘I can’t even confirm my own appearance.’

‘How can it see my form, which doesn’t even reflect in mirrors…?’

[I will save you.]

‘Save me? Who…?’

‘She was a being forgotten by the world.’

‘No one remembered her, not even herself.’

‘But the pitch-black man spoke as if he knew her.’

‘A man cloaked in an aloof and imposing black aura.’

‘But why was it?’

‘His tone was not at all overbearing; rather, it sounded like comfort.’

[You… remember me…? ]

‘I didn’t want to believe it.’

‘It would be a lie anyway.’

‘Why was I asking again…?’

[Oh, pitiful girl. I will return your memories.]

[Mem…ories…? ]

‘As the black man finished speaking, I was sucked into the depths of hazy memories.’

****

‘A village flowed with blue skies and warm breezes.’

‘A girl was running across a meadow with her friends.’

“Hey, ■◆! Hurry up!”

“Okay! Wait for me!”

‘The girl smiled brightly and ran towards her friend.’

‘She was happy.’

‘A warm home with a kind mother, though it was a small rural village.’

‘Friends she always played with, and lush green fields.’

‘That was all she had, but it was enough to make the girl perfectly happy.’

“Haha! I won this time!”

“What? That’s cheating!”

“Aw, no such thing!”

‘The girl laughed and ran around with her friends until evening.’

“Let’s meet here again tomorrow!”

“Yeah, you have to come!”

‘She believed that such natural happiness would continue.’

[First Night]

‘The next morning.’

“Mom! I’m off!”

‘The girl smiled brightly and stepped out the door.’

‘She saw the friends she had played with yesterday gathered at the playground.’

“Hey, guys! I’m here!”

‘The girl waved cheerfully, but.’

“……?”

‘Her friends didn’t see her.’

“Hey guys. Yesterday was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah! Let’s have even more fun today!”

“Of course! The three of us are always together!”

‘Three……?’

‘It had always been four, including herself, so what on earth were they talking about?’

“What are you talking about? Guys, I’m here too!”

‘But her friends didn’t react.’

‘As if they couldn’t hear the girl’s voice.’

[Second Night]

“Mom. I’m going out again today!”

“Oh my. Who are you?”

“……What?”

‘Her mother’s expression was neither playful nor joking.’

‘It was truly the look of someone seeing a stranger for the first time.’

“Mom…… It’s me. It’s ■◆……!”

“I’ve never had a child with that name.”

“……Th-that’s a lie, right, Mom?”

“Now, off you go. Your parents must be waiting.”

“Mom…… Mom!”

[Third Night]

‘No one in the village could see the girl anymore.’

‘No one answered, even when she spoke to passersby.’

‘She tried to block their path, but people passed right through her as if she were mist.’

‘The girl was slowly fading into oblivion.’

“Why is this happening to me…?”

‘No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t understand.’

“I…… I didn’t do anything wrong……”

‘She had simply lived an ordinary life.’

‘Why couldn’t anyone remember her?’

‘Now, even her existence wasn’t visible.’

‘Her form didn’t reflect in mirrors.’

‘The girl no longer left footprints, shadows, or sounds.’

“No. I don’t want to be forgotten…… Is this a punishment for living happily until now……?”

‘The girl lifted her head and gazed at the sky.’

“Yes? God……?”

‘But no answer came back.’

‘The girl hugged her knees and quietly cried in the empty space.’

‘An empty space where no one was.’

‘In that place, the girl was slowly disappearing.’

‘Then, a strange voice was heard.’

‘Lonely, aren’t you?’

“……!”

‘Don’t you hate everyone?’

“……Who… are you?”

‘They should become like you.’

‘The voice felt like a whisper in her ear.’

‘A sound that seemed to echo from afar.’

‘Soft, yet grating,’

‘Like comfort, yet cold, an alien voice of unknown form.’

—Swoosh.

‘Something began to form before her eyes.’

‘A twisted, blackish-red form.’

‘Let’s go together.’

‘The girl was scared, but she didn’t want to be alone anymore.’

‘The only being who spoke to her in a world where no one recognized her.’

‘What it was didn’t matter.’

‘In her terrible loneliness, she simply wished for someone to be by her side.’

‘The moment she took that entity’s hand.’

‘■◆ became the ‘Forgotten One’.’

****

[Is this… my memory…? ]

‘Overwhelmed by the sudden wave of memories, she couldn’t collect herself.’

‘A small village and blue skies.’

‘Friends who laughed and played.’

‘And the days that slowly faded away.’

‘Many forgotten things came to mind, but for some reason, the last piece was missing.’

‘Her own ‘name’, the most important thing.’

[Ah……? ]

‘What was the name?’

‘What was its pronunciation?’

‘But the more she tried to recall it, the more the memory vanished like sand scattering through her fingers.’

[I can’t remember.]

‘No one remembers me anyway, so what was I expecting?’

‘No one calls my name.’

‘A meaningless existence, unable to even remember her own name.’

[I am the ‘Forgotten One’.]

‘With that realization, the blackish-red aura began to twist hazily.’

‘The domain of the Forgotten One, filling the space with increasing intensity.’

‘At that moment.’

[Do you think everyone has forgotten you?]

‘A low, deep voice spread.’

[Laura. I remember you.]

—Thump.

‘The moment she heard that name, time seemed to stop.’

‘As if a fading existence had been forcibly anchored to this world.’

‘Light began to enter the deep darkness of the Forgotten One.’

‘Strange. It’s a somewhat unfamiliar word.’

‘But it definitely felt familiar.’

Lo◆.

■ra.

‘Laura…?’

[My…… name…? ]

‘A trembling voice.’

‘Then, once again, an unforgettable resonance was heard.’

[Laura. You are not forgotten.]

‘Her name had been forgotten by the world.’

‘No one should remember it.’

‘How could that man speak that name?’

‘That’s a lie.’

‘He’s trying to deceive me.’

‘He’s pretending to remember, trying to trick me and push me back into despair, it’s clear.’

‘I… won’t be fooled.’

‘The Forgotten One recoiled from the pitch-black man.’

[……It’s a lie. You’ll…… you’ll forget me too!!]

—CRASH!

‘With a twisted scream, the black mist surged violently, tearing apart the space.’

‘The underworld encroached upon its surroundings with even greater power.’

‘The classroom transformed into a twisted shape, and the floor’s subsidence grew worse.’

[No one… no one remembered me…!]

[I… I didn’t do anything wrong… Why… Why on earth……!!]

‘The Forgotten One trembled violently, screaming.’

‘She had desperately wished for it, for them not to forget her.’

‘She had cried and clung, but no one remembered her.’

‘But now, he says he remembers…?’

[I’ll be… abandoned again. If I trust… I’ll be betrayed…]

‘The ‘being who remembered her,’ whom she had so desperately yearned for, was right before her eyes.’

‘What was it that made the Forgotten One, this frail girl, so afraid?’

‘The betrayal and despair that followed trust.’

‘It was the girl’s defense mechanism, knowing she couldn’t endure it again if she experienced that once more.’

[…….]

‘Did the pitch-black man perhaps know the girl’s heart?’

‘He silently accepted the girl’s aura, which rejected everything, and slowly approached.’

[D-don’t come!!]

—Swoosh!

‘The blackish-red aura became blades and attacked the black man, but he didn’t retaliate at all.’

[Why……?]

‘Even if the attacks didn’t work, to not retaliate against an enemy attacking him.’

‘Stoically absorbing the girl’s anguish with his entire body, the pitch-black man focused solely on approaching the girl.’

‘The man slowly extended his hand towards the Forgotten One.’

[Don’t come close……!]

[Laura.]

[……Stop! Stop calling it!]

‘The Forgotten One resisted, trembling desperately.’

‘Every time she heard the name ‘Laura,’ her head felt like it would split open.’

[It’s alright. You’re not scared. I won’t hurt you.]

‘A calm, low voice.’

‘Within it dwelled a gentle heart, soothing and comforting a frightened child.’

[You… you really won’t… hurt me…? ]

‘The man simply answered the girl’s question with a faint gaze.’

‘Feeling his concern in that gaze, the Forgotten One stopped resisting and quietly waited for him to come.’

—Softly.

‘Slowly and quietly, the man placed his hand on her head, which was enveloped in the blackish-red aura.’

‘The moment his hand touched her, the mist surrounding the Forgotten One began to turn transparent.’

‘As if she were returning to her ‘original self’.’

[……!]

‘It was warm.’

‘A touch that remembered her for the first time.’

‘The Forgotten One had been unable to touch anyone until now.’

‘Because her very existence wasn’t remembered.’

‘But the pitch-black man touched her indifferently, as if such rules meant nothing to him.’

‘At that moment.’

‘The sticky, distorted blackish-red mist that enveloped the Forgotten One began to disappear.’

‘The swirling black forms gently dispersed, and from within them, a delicate girl appeared.’

‘A small, slender body.’

‘Soft golden hair and lightly scattered freckles.’

‘Sky-blue eyes that shone, and transparent tears flowing from their corners.’

‘It was ‘Laura,’ who loved playing with friends and whose bright smile was so beautiful.’

[Laura.]

“……”

[I remember you. Laura.]

“……You really remember me? I…… I haven’t been forgotten?”

‘Thick tears dripped from Laura’s eyes.’

[Yes. Even if the world has forgotten you, I alone remember you.]

‘The black man spoke in an emotionless, yet somehow comforting voice.’

‘Only then could Laura realize.’

‘That this man, with hair as black as pitch and skin as white as snow.’

‘And eyes that held an abyss, had come to save her.’

‘A person who approached her without any repulsion, even after seeing her incredibly grotesque previous form.’

“Ugh…… Waaah…!”

[It’s okay to cry, Laura.]

“Hoo… hoo! Waaaaah……!”

‘Laura threw herself into the black man’s arms and burst into tears.’

‘How long had it been since she cried?’

‘She had thought she’d lost all emotions since becoming a ghost story.’

‘The pure tears of a child.’

‘Laura, whose dam of emotions had broken, sobbed in his arms for a long time.’

‘A warm hand that simply patted her back gently.’

“Hoo…! Whoo-hoo…”

‘How long had she cried?’

‘Laura slowly lifted her head and looked at the face of the man holding her.’

“Ah…… You are……?”

‘She knew.’

‘That the dark, deep eyes held kindness and warmth.’

‘That this man was identical to the description of ‘that person’ she sometimes heard about in the village.’

‘Contrary to his pitch-black appearance, this person, who holds a brighter light than anyone else—’

“Savior…… Sir…?”

‘At that moment, the girl’s body became enveloped in light and slowly began to fade.’

‘It meant that her story had ended, and it was time for her to leave.’

‘The pitch-black man was still silently patting her back.’

‘Laura bid farewell to the one who had saved her.’

“……Thank you for…… remembering me.”

‘The girl’s face looked incredibly happy.’

“My…… God!”

‘With a bright smile, Laura softly melted into light and disappeared.’

****

‘A dark space.’

‘A girl stood alone there.’

‘The surroundings were endlessly dark, and she couldn’t tell where the space ended.’

“……”

‘Laura slowly bowed her head.’

‘Now…… it’s truly the end.’

‘Even if her memories weren’t complete, she had erased far too many beings.’

‘It was only natural for her to fall into hell.’

‘The moment she thought that and was about to force a bitter smile,’

“Laura!”

“Laura!”

“Where are you!?”

‘Faint voices were heard.’

‘From very far away.’

‘But so incredibly clear.’

‘Voices she had continuously longed for.’

‘A resonance she had desperately wanted to hear.’

‘Laura carefully turned to where the voices were coming from.’

‘There were.’

“……Mom?”

‘Her mother, who had always greeted her kindly and warmly, was there.’

“……Guys?”

‘Her friends, with whom she had played and laughed, were there.’

‘Everyone was smiling brightly and waving at her.’

“Welcome, Laura!”

“Really, you’re so late! We were all waiting!”

‘Laura could only stare blankly at the scene.’

‘No one had remembered her.’

‘She had thought she, who had erased many beings, would fall into hell.’

‘But it wasn’t so.’

‘The twisted story was corrected, and Laura had returned to that happy world.’

‘The girl bit her lip, and with tears in her eyes, quietly smiled.’

“……Yes! I missed you all…!”

‘The moment Laura took a step into the dark space, light bloomed from her toes.’

‘The black space vanished, and the fields where she always played unfolded.’

‘A clear and blue sky.’

‘The girl’s happy village.’

‘The warmest world the girl remembered was welcoming her.’

“Welcome, Laura!”

“Really, why are you so late!”

‘The girl, with tears in her eyes, smiled and ran with all her might towards her loved ones.’

‘Towards the voices calling her name.’

‘Into the midst of the people who remembered her.’

‘Thus, Laura’s story came to an end.’

****

[Disaster-Grade Ghost Story: ‘The Forgotten O◆’……]

——Static!

[The girl who was forgotten by everyone, Laura, is no longer lonely. For she has reunited with the people she longed for.]