Pov: Eirian
"You said we met her on the top of the clock tower? Sleeping of all things?" Ael said.
"Yeah, I don't even know what to tell you, definitely a weird one," I replied.
Stepping through the snow that fell all night, we were making our way to the clock tower. My wounds were healing, and my hands were recovering from mild frostbite.
"Well, here's the clock tower." Amiel, who was leading us, stopped as we were faced with the tower ringing, marking noon.
"All that's left to do is climb up, huh?" I said, daunted by the idea.
Ael and Amiel walked forward, opening the door to the tower to climb up.
'I know this was my idea, but...' I thought.
"What are you waiting for?" Ael stood at the door, holding it for me.
"Uh, I think I would rather stay down here, just in case, you know... for my stitches."
Ael gave me a weird look. "What are you talking about? I checked your stitches last night, and they're fine. Now hurry up and get over here."
"Right." As I felt a lump in my throat, I walked forward and made my way up.
'I did this once before, I can do it again.' I thought to myself. 'All a distant memory, but all the same.'
Climbing the stairs, still creaking the same as before, I continued.
'shitt shit shit.' I repeated to myself.
Seeing the light peek through the cracks of the hatch, we made it.
As I fell to my knees, I tried to stay away from the edge of the tower so as not to worsen my state.
"You okay?" Ael asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just give me a second."
As Ael spoke to me, Ameil looked around for any signs of Eira.
"You shouldn't be that tired; you healed up fine." He peered over me.
"Eirian, I don't see her." Said Amiel.
Still lying on the ground, ignoring Ael, I said, "Look over the ledge. She should be sleeping."
"Sleeping on the ledge of the clock tower?" Ael asked, surprised as he made a few steps away from me, looking off into the distance.
"Don't ask me." I replied, "Ask her once we find her."
"Yeah, I don't see anyone." Said Amiel as his head peered over the tower.
"Huh? Check again." I replied.
"I did, three times in fact."
Ael, walking around, yelled, "Eira! Where are you!"
"She's not going to reply; she doesn't even have memories. Eira was just a name I gave her." Both Amiel and Ael turned toward me.
"What do you mean she doesn't have any memories?" Ael questioned.
"Exactly what it means, she has no memories."
"This is great, you have us searching for someone who doesn't even know what is happening around here, this might as well be a waste of time," Amiel added.
"Not true... fully." I turned to avoid meeting Amiel's eyes. "Either way, having the extra manpower is nice."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Amiel asked.
"That's simple, I didn't remember until this morning... look, memories are still coming back to me, I'm sorry." Getting up from the floor, my legs still feel weak, but manageable.
Amiel sighed, "Regardless, she isn't here, let's head down." He turned away from me, and under his breath, I could hear something: "total waste of time, knew he was crazy."
"Hold up, let me check."
Still being afraid of heights, but wanting to prove that we were regressing more, I mustered the courage to lean over. I check the first side. I can begin to feel my legs become weak again. After checking every side, Eira wasn't there.
'What the heck, where is she?' I thought.
"So?" Amiel waited for a reply in the back.
"She isn't here," I replied, my heart sinking.
"Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let's head down."
Not moving, I tried to think where else she might be. I run through all my memories of what we did and where she might go. Only one thought came to mind.
"Wait! Can we check one more spot? It isn't far."
Ael turned toward me as he was about to walk down the hatch. "Where?"
"The cafeteria."
***
As we arrived in front of the cafeteria, which surrounded the clock tower in the quad, we opened the doors to find a mess—more than I remember from before. And instead of being welcomed with silence this time, I can hear the clanking of tin cans on the floor. Before Amiel and Ael could say anything, I walked forward. The noise seemed to be coming from the kitchen. Creeping up on the noise, I find a girl, half of whose body is inside a cardboard box.
"Not this. Ew, no." As she scavenges through the food, she throws cans behind her.
"Eira—" Before I can say anything else, a can of food hits me in the head. "Ow!" I placed my hand on my head, thinking it would help with the pain.
Falling over, still half of her body in the box, she yelled in surprise, "Who's there!?" Her voice was still as soft as I remembered.
"It's Eirian, well, you don't know who I am, but—" Finding it hard to explain the situation, I give up. "My name is Eirian."
Finally making her way out of the box after being startled moments before, her porcelain-like skin and doll-like face make an appearance. Next to me, Ameil and Ael walked forward.
"This is Ael, and this is Amiel." I point to them as if I were presenting them.
She doesn't move, as if she's scared to.
"You called me Eira? Why? Do you know who I am?"
As I tried to find the words to explain the situation, I found myself at a loss.
"We don't," Amiel stated bluntly.
Before Amiel could say anything else, I intervened, "That part is kind of hard to explain. Actually—"
Her stomach growled, stopping me once again from speaking. Getting emberessed, she ends up shriveling up, hiding back in the box she held over her head. I could hear Ael chuckle, "Are you hungry by chance?"
After a second of silence, she replied, "Yes."
"How about you sit down, I make you food, and we talk for a bit. How does that sound?"
Picking the box back up, he unveils her head, "Sure."
"Perfect, Eirian, grab her a seat. Amiel, you do what you want to do."