That morning, Arvian was already awake before the alarm went off.
Usually, he needed to set the alarm several times before he would leave his bed. But this time was different. His eyes had opened while the sky was still dark, as if his mind had started moving before his body.
Today, he was leaving.
Leaving to find Nayla.
Not like before, when he only wanted to get back something he had lost. This time, Arvian was carrying a different purpose.
He wanted to know how she was doing.
He wanted to make sure Nayla was okay.
And most importantly, he wanted to keep one thing he had once forgotten.
The promise to stay alive.
Arvian opened the closet and took out a few clothes. He wasn't bringing much. Only the things he considered important.
As he was putting his belongings into a bag, his mother entered the room.
"You're leaving?"
Arvian turned.
"Yeah, Mom."
"Where?"
Arvian was silent for a moment.
Usually, he would give a short answer.
But this time, he didn't feel like hiding anything.
"I'm going to look for someone."
His mother studied his face.
"Someone important?"
Arvian smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
His mother didn't ask anything else.
She simply came closer and straightened Arvian's slightly rumpled collar.
"Be careful if you're going."
Arvian nodded.
"Yeah, Mom."
"Don't just look for someone else. Sometimes, we need to find ourselves, too."
Her words left Arvian speechless.
For some reason, what his mother had said sounded similar to everything he'd heard over the past few days.
As if everyone wanted to say the same thing.
That this journey wasn't only about Nayla.
An hour later, Raka arrived on his motorcycle.
It was obvious from his face that he was ready to come along.
Arvian left the house carrying his bag.
"You sure you're coming?"
Raka looked at him.
"What kind of question is that?"
"This is my journey."
"And I'm your friend."
"But..."
"Enough."
Raka cut him off.
"I know you're going to say you can do this alone. But you've always been like that."
"Like what?"
"Always feeling like you have to face everything alone."
Arvian didn't answer.
Because he knew Raka was right.
They set out that morning.
The journey was fairly long. The city they were used to seeing slowly gave way to quieter roads.
For most of the trip, Arvian stayed silent.
He watched the scenery along the roadside.
Rice fields.
Small houses.
People living their lives without knowing what he was searching for.
"Vian."
"Hm?"
"Are you scared?"
Arvian didn't answer right away.
"Yeah."
Raka was slightly surprised.
"You finally admit it."
Arvian smiled faintly.
"I'm scared that after I see her, it'll turn out everything is already too late."
Raka drove the motorcycle calmly.
"What if it is too late?"
Arvian looked at the road ahead.
"At least I'll know."
That answer made Raka fall silent.
Because maybe that was what Arvian had been missing all this time.
Certainty.
Toward evening, they arrived in a small town.
It was much quieter than their hometown.
The address Dimas had given them led to a street lined with modest houses.
Arvian looked at the address written on the paper in his hand.
"Number 17."
They stopped in front of a small house with a white fence.
Arvian's heart began beating faster.
Raka got off the motorcycle.
"Are you ready?"
Arvian stared at the house's door.
"I don't know."
"What if you're not ready?"
Arvian drew a breath.
"I still have to go in."
They walked toward the door.
Arvian raised his hand to knock.
But before his hand touched the door, it opened.
A woman stepped out carrying several books.
Arvian stopped immediately.
Time seemed to slow.
The woman stopped, too.
They looked at each other.
Neither of them spoke.
Because sometimes, someone doesn't need to be explained in order to be recognized.
There was something in that look.
Something that made Arvian certain.
"Nayla..."
The name left his lips softly.
The woman froze.
Her hand, clutching the books, slowly dropped.
"Arvian?"
That voice.
The voice that until now had only appeared in fragments of memory.
Now it sounded real.
Raka chose to remain silent.
He knew this wasn't the time to interfere.
Nayla looked at Arvian for a long moment.
"You..."
She stopped.
"You remember me?"
The question left Arvian silent.
He wanted to say yes.
But that wasn't entirely true.
"I remember a little."
Nayla's expression changed.
There was sadness.
Relief.
And something difficult to explain.
"A little?"
Arvian nodded.
"Yeah."
Nayla lowered her head.
"Five years..."
She smiled faintly, but her eyes glistened with tears.
"Five years, and all you remember is a little."
Arvian felt guilty.
"Nayla..."
But Nayla shook her head.
"Don't."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know whether I should be angry or happy to see you here."
Her words left Arvian silent.
He hadn't expected the reunion he'd imagined all this time to feel this difficult.
"I didn't come to disrupt your life."
Nayla looked at him.
"Then why did you come?"
Arvian gripped the moon bracelet in his pocket.
"I came because there are so many things left unfinished."
Nayla looked at the bracelet.
Her expression changed.
"You still have it?"
Arvian nodded.
"I only just found it."
Nayla smiled faintly.
"You used to say you'd take care of it."
"I forgot."
"I know."
That answer made Arvian stare at her.
"You know?"
Nayla nodded.
"I know everything."
The silence returned.
Arvian began to feel that there was something he hadn't heard yet.
"What do you mean?"
Nayla looked toward the road.
"I know you lost some of your memories."
Arvian fell silent.
"Why?"
Nayla drew a long breath.
"Because I was the one who asked them to let you forget."
Arvian froze.
"You?"
Nayla nodded slowly.
And for the first time since arriving in that town, Arvian felt that this journey had just entered its most difficult part.
Because perhaps the biggest answer wasn't about why Nayla had left.
But why Nayla herself had chosen to make Arvian forget her.