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"Elías..." Kael whispered, letting the name slide off his lips like a prayer. The word echoed in the small cabin, a melody of longing lost in the cold wind that swept down from the mountain heights.

The echo of the name reverberated in his mind like the turning of a key in a forgotten lock. In an instant, the jumbled fragments of his past aligned with meticulous precision, like pieces of a puzzle finally finding their lost fits in time.

He remembered a laughing child, eyes sparkling with unquenchable curiosity and a smile that illuminated even the darkest corners. Together, they had explored the nearby woods, built treehouses reaching majestically toward the sky, and woven dreams of epic adventures under the warm sunlight.

Elías had been his closest friend during those innocent, joy-filled days. Yet all of that felt so distant now, as if it belonged to another life. In Elías's voice and tone, Kael sensed a nuance carrying deep melancholy and nostalgia.

Meanwhile, the mountain stretched before Elías's eyes like a slumbering giant, a mass of land covered in scattered trees and rocks weathered by time. There was nothing remarkable about it, no scenic beauty to captivate travelers' gazes, no valuable resources worth exploiting. It was simply an ordinary mountain, a part of the natural landscape lost among the many hills and peaks stretching across the land.

As he descended the steep trail, the intruders' insults and scorn reverberated in his mind, but the cold, crystalline air of the mountain held a strange calming power. Peace reigned in those woods, and the only sound disturbing the silence was the gentle rustling of dry leaves under his feet.

In the heart of that tranquil setting, a determined thought rose in Elías's mind.

"We must overcome this together," he reflected with resolve. "Kael doesn't deserve this suffering. No matter what happened in the past, he deserves a chance to recover and find the peace that's been taken from him."

Halfway down the mountain, he encountered the supplies and medicines the envoys had brought, scattered on the ground like an improvised feast for forest creatures. The broken crates and torn bags painted a desolate picture.

Yet, Elías didn't allow this to deter him. He rolled up his sleeves and set about gathering the scattered provisions, aware of the vital importance of each resource in their situation.

As he bent down to retrieve a surprisingly intact bag of rice, a foul smell assaulted his nose, causing him to grimace in disgust. Looking up, he realized that before retreating, the envoys had urinated inside the food container. The acrid odor of the liquid permeated the supplies, turning something already unpleasant into something utterly repugnant.

Despite the revulsion he felt, Elías took a deep breath and forced himself not to recoil.

"We are stronger than this," he reminded himself. "Kael needs this. Kael relies on me."

With determination in his eyes, he picked up the bag of rice and then approached the container, resisting the urge to cover his nose. He briefly closed his eyes, trying to block out the smell as he plunged his hands into the container, beginning to gather everything inside.

Each item tainted by urine was an affront to his dignity, but Elías forced himself to see beyond the indignity of the act. He knew the envoys had tried to humiliate him, but he wouldn't let his pride interfere with Kael's survival.

With steady and careful hands, he collected the cans of food, bottles of water, and medicine packets, ignoring the smell as he did so.

Finally, after ensuring everything was gathered and as clean as possible, he firmly closed the container. Despite the lingering odor, the supplies were intact, and for now, that was what mattered.

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Elías ascended the mountain, his back bowed under the weight of the supplies he carried. Fury and disgust churned within him like an uncontrollable torrent. He couldn't comprehend why the "miss" had sent them to torment Kael and, by extension, himself.

"I have to stay strong for him," he murmured to himself, his words echoing in the mountain's stillness like a sacred oath. The image of his agonizing friend was deeply etched in his mind, injecting a renewed urgency into his determination. "I cannot let others' wickedness extinguish the spark of hope in Kael's eyes," he vowed to himself, his voice firm and resolute.

Upon returning to the cabin, he found Kael lying in bed, his face still contorted with pain. The ointment he had applied had made Kael's suffering bearable, at least for the moment. Despite his agony, Kael's blinded eyes shimmered with renewed clarity. He had begun to remember.

In the depths of his memory, Kael found a recollection glowing with intense love and eternal longing. It was a sun-drenched day, a clear blue sky stretching infinitely above him, and he stood beside Allison, his partner. They had decided to venture on a countryside stroll, escaping the city's clamor to embrace the serenity only nature could offer.

Under the sun's warm caress, their faces radiated as they walked hand in hand, sharing laughter and secrets. In that moment, the world seemed to pause, and only they existed, wrapped in a bubble of love and camaraderie. Allison smiled sweetly, her eyes harboring an ocean of emotions, reflecting the deep love she held for Kael. Every word exchanged between them resonated with the promise of a future together, a life brimming with love and happiness unfolding before them like a path lit by the sun of hope.

In the twilight of that golden afternoon, as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the sky with hues of orange and pink, Kael had gathered all his courage to ask the question that would change their lives forever. The world's stillness seemed to hold its breath as he awaited the response, and when Allison, with eyes brimming with love and surprise, had said yes, the entire universe filled with an ineffable joy.

Without yet comprehending the reason, the memory flooded Kael with an intense mix of emotions: love, loss, and a pain so profound it stole his breath away. Tears welled in Kael's eyes as he relived Allison's melodious laughter and the softness of her touch in his mind.

Elías observed his friend with a blend of concern and hope. He approached the bed cautiously, aware of Kael's fragility in that moment.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, his gaze fixed on his friend's eyes. The room was saturated with an expectant silence as he awaited Kael's response.

Kael took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with the effort of each inhalation. However, despite the pain still haunting him, his voice emerged firm and filled with gratitude. "Better," he replied, his tone barely a whisper but laden with thankfulness. "That ointment... helped. And I've been remembering things, Elías. Things from the past."

Elías's heart skipped a beat at Kael's words. He had awaited this moment, yet that didn't make it any less impactful. Cautiously, he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, offering silent and understanding support.

"Memories are good, Kael. They're signs that your mind is healing," he said in a soothing voice, trying to instill confidence in his friend. "I'm here to help you remember anything you might need. You're not alone in this."

Kael let out a sigh, a nostalgic smile crossing his face.

"Elías," he began, his voice trembling with the emotion engulfing him, "do you remember that summer when we built a treehouse?" His words flowed with a mixture of melancholy and joy. "It was an incredible time, wasn't it? We felt invincible, like we could conquer the world together."

Elías nodded, his own face illuminated by the joy of that shared memory. "Yes, Kael. They were happy days. And those days can come back, I know it. I'm here to help you reclaim those moments, so we can be invincible together again."

Time seemed to slow down in the small cabin, with a weighty silence hanging in the air. Kael felt a knot in his stomach, a blend of fear and longing that urged him to voice the question that had haunted him since he regained some clarity: "Elías... what happened to Allison?"

The words resonated in the room, filling the space with their emotional weight. Elías furrowed his brow slightly, as if trying to recall something slipping away from him. In his mind, faces and names of people he had known over the years swiftly passed, yet none matched the name Allison.

"Kael..." Elías began softly, choosing his words carefully, "I can't recall an Allison in your life or mine. Maybe she's someone you met after we parted... or perhaps my memory is failing. I don't know."

Kael's words slipped off his lips like a confession, laden with emotion and memory. "Allison..." he murmured, his throat tight with the intensity of the recollection, "she's my fiancée."

The room seemed to tense with his words. Elías, who had been caring for Kael with such dedication, fell silent for a moment, as if carefully selecting his words. Kael could feel the tension in the air as Elías processed the revelation.

"Kael..." Elías began with a gentle voice, his gaze filled with empathy, "it's understandable that you want to know. Your fiancée... she..." Elías hesitated for a moment, his eyes seeking answers in the cabin's ceiling as if the past were written in the shadows surrounding them.

Kael's heart pounded in his chest. He felt a strange mix of hope and fear. Hope that maybe, just maybe, the news would be good. But he also feared the truth, feared facing the reality of what had happened while he lay bedridden and unaware.