Darkness. It feels like it has lasted forever, yet suddenly, there's light.

Your eyes open slowly, heavy and resistant, as if they were never meant to again. The brightness above you is almost blinding. The sterile scent of antiseptic floods your senses, and you become aware of the stiff sheets draped over your aching body. There's noise—murmurs, worried voices pressing into the fog of your mind. You blink, trying to adjust, to make sense of the blurry shapes above you.

"She's awake!"

A voice—sharp, yet unmistakably relieved. The red hair. The fiery expression. The name should be on the tip of your tongue, but it's not there. You know nothing.

"Hey! Hey, do you hear me?! Do you know where you are? Do you know who I am?"

Her voice shakes slightly. You want to answer, to say something, but there's nothing to say. You don't know her. You don't know where you are. You don't even know who you are. Your lips part, and silence follows.

Another voice. Softer, trembling. "Asuka… Give her some space."

The boy—dark hair, sad eyes, an overwhelming gentleness that makes your chest tighten. His concern is clear, but why? Why does he care? Why do any of them?

And then there’s another. Distant. Dull red eyes watching without expression. A girl, quiet, still, as if she’s waiting for something. Expecting something. But you have nothing to give.

"Who... who are you?" The words finally slip out of your dry throat, and the room falls into a suffocating silence.

Shinji flinches. Asuka’s expression twists. Rei remains unreadable. Then, footsteps echo closer.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" A new voice. Gentle, almost musical. The silver-haired boy steps into view, his gaze kind, but piercing. He doesn’t seem surprised. If anything, he looks… understanding.

You search for something in his face, in any of their faces. But it’s empty. Your past, your memories, everything. He simply smiles, his head tilting slightly as if he expected this outcome all along.

"Then we’ll just have to reintroduce you to yourself"