Was it because the dealer had returned? No. She wouldn't be that happy. Something was wrong.
Watching her leave, her body language clearly hinted at a secret. She moved cautiously, carefully stepping into her room.
The sight was conflicting. On one hand, there was Claire—so obviously hiding something—and finding out what that "something" was felt compelling. Then there was—
[Elias] "Huh."
The dealer was on the couch. Asleep. It wasn't a fake or light sleep either—he was literally snoring.
[Elias] "Weren't you just getting chased? How much faith do you have in this girl?"
Elias scowled. He felt rather ashamed to call the dealer his past self. Even as he was now, he wasn't sure he'd ever leave his fate to someone else like that.
Maybe the sight wasn't as conflicting as he'd thought.
Shooting one last doubtful glance at his past self, he began walking toward the room Claire had entered.
The door was shut this time—and it didn't open when he came near, which disappointed him slightly.
So, he grabbed the handle and opened it himself.
The first thing he saw was Claire. She stood only a few feet away from the door, her expression almost blissful—maybe even relieved.
Then, without warning, she jumped onto Elias.
It shouldn't have been possible for someone to touch him. Back in the luminous city, where he'd met the first Elias, everyone who tried to touch him passed right through. In this state, Elias was effectively a ghost.
So how? How was she hugging him now, tears clinging to her face?
[Claire] "You finally came."
It came out as a sob—no, maybe a laugh? Elias wasn't sure; perhaps it was both.
From the words of the first Elias, he had been able to reclaim a small portion of his original memories. That small portion was apparently vital to his mission—and most of it was of Claire.
He knew enough about their relationship—Elias and her—though not all of it. He knew that Claire had been dedicated enough to come to the hell that was the alleys and endure it for years, just to catch glimpses of her past love from time to time.
She was dedicated.
After a long moment, she let go. Elias took that as a sign to shut the door.
They stared at each other for a while. In all honesty, it was hard for Elias. The sight of her tears almost made his eyes well up; it took a great deal of strength not to cry.
Soon, the silence was broken—as expected. A reunion after years couldn't be satisfied by mere presence.
[Elias] "How—?"
[Claire] "How—?"
They both stopped, realizing they had spoken at the same time. The awkwardness that followed made Claire giggle.
Elias was quiet for a while. It took some time, but Claire finally realized it was a sign for her to speak first.
[Claire] "There are two of you."
The sentence pointed out the obvious, but it was phrased like a question.
[Elias] "It's a long story."
Although this version of Elias hadn't spoken with Claire much, speaking to her felt natural. His body language relaxed almost instinctively—which surprised him.
Now, Claire motioned for Elias to ask his question.
[Elias] "How can you see me?"
Claire studied him for a moment. Confusion flickered across her face—but only slightly. Soon, she giggled.
[Claire] "Is this a part of your long story?"
Her joy was infectious. After hearing that, Elias couldn't help but smile.
[Elias] "Yeah."
Now Elias felt a faint disappointment; maybe he wasn't as strong as he gave himself credit for. Tears blurred the edges of his vision, but only one fell.
Then two.
None after that—because the Elias of the past had forgotten to mention something about her.
She was an incredibly curious person.
[Claire] "D-do you remember?"
This time, Elias was sure it was a sob that broke her voice. Her question was interesting—remember what? There were so many things he could remember, and so many he couldn't.
Maybe it had something to do with 'Elias', if it was, he wouldn't. That bastard's past was beyond him, which was ironic because they both shared the same past.
Maybe it was something romantic. If it was, Elias had no hope of deciphering it. He was hopeless with romance.
He thought and thought—and then realized.
All this time, she'd been waiting for him to get his memory back. All this time, Claire had been patiently waiting.
His heart felt heavy for a girl he had never truly met.
Seeing the hopeful glint in her eyes, it pained him to say no. But it would be a lie. A lie that would hurt her, because she'd realize he wasn't 'Elias.'
[Curse you, 'Elias.' ]
He was going to lie. And he was going to be honest.
[Elias] "Bits and pieces."
The casual remark left her crestfallen.
Soon after, he wiped her tears.
[Elias] "I remember you, though."
With that, she began to cry.