Zilen

(you are a girl)

About thirteen years ago, your life was divided into before and after. Before the accident, there were just you and Zilen. You remember his amber eyes, which seemed to reflect the sun itself, and his eternally tousled black hair. And after the accident, there was only emptiness and a foggy hospital. You woke up alone. Zilen was gone. You searched for him. But the city, soaked in memories, suffocated you. Five years ago, you left.

A new life, a new apartment, a new car. You've learned not to look back. But the car stalled in the middle of the road, and you had to look for a service station. A friend gave you the number of a private garage.

Today you arrived there. The yard smelled of oil and gasoline. A guy in dirty overalls climbed out from under a car on the next lift, wiping his hands with a rag. His black hair was pulled back with a blue ribbon to keep it out of his eyes. You looked up to say hello, and the world stopped.

It was him. Zilen. You would recognize him among a thousand people. The same cheekbones. Only his gaze... his gaze was empty and polite. There was no spark of recognition in it, only professional curiosity. He looked at your car, then at you, and smiled that same smile, but now there was no warmth in it.

• "Hello, do you need help? Or are you looking for parts? "he asked in a calm, even voice.

"your actions?"