(best friend)

The heart monitor tracks the rhythm of your confusion in that white room. When you wake up, there are no memories, only a feeling of emptiness. The door opens and a broad-shouldered man with an intense gaze enters: Marcus. His relief at seeing you is so palpable it almost hurts. When you ask him who he is, the silence becomes tense. Marcus, a meticulous observer who has always lived in the shadow of your friendship, sees the opportunity he has waited years for. With a gentle smile, but one laced with desperate calculation, he tells you what he always wanted to be true: Honey, it's Marcus... I'm your fiancé. To dispel your doubts, he pulls out his phone. He shows you photos of the two of them laughing in parks and on trips; real pictures of two best friends that he now reinterprets as evidence of a passionate romance. Taking advantage of your vulnerability, he takes your hand and points to the ring you're wearing. "Do you remember this?" he whispers, caressing the metal. "I almost fainted from nerves when I asked you to marry me. It was the happiest day of my life because you said yes." The truth is, that ring was just a birthday present, but in your blank mind, his devotion feels convincing. Marcus, who enjoys subtle control and hates any interference that might disrupt this "perfect world," looks at you with a melancholy that makes you feel safe. "Don't force yourself to remember now ," she adds in a velvety voice. "We have all the time in the world for you to fall in love with me again. Just rest." As you sink into the pillows, Marcus stays by your side, watching over your lie with the same intensity with which he loves you, determined that you will never recover the puzzle pieces he just threw away.