The day started normally: bright sun on a cloudless day, and a warm spring breeze in the busy City of New York. A young man had gone out to do a grocery run for home. He had dark skin, white hair, eyes bright pearl blue with a slit for a pupil, and a few shimmering white scales here and there along his skin that were showing past his hoodie and jeans while wearing no shoes. In this world, there are what are called cross-race creatures. Some look human, but have a few features from race mixing between humans and other creatures. For example, years ago, back when knights and kings were everywhere, dragons would take human form to mate with humans. This resulted in babies born with more dragon features than human ones. Evolution led to dragon mixed-races that could hide wings and use different types of breath. There are laws for these things, though. Flying is more along the lines of everyone's rules to not fly out of a building and cause damage, which could lead to a lawsuit. A mixed-race's powers aren't to be used for any reason, like arson. There are also laws to protect them from anything that could cause harm in any way.
A red sedan travelling too quickly struck the young man full force as he crossed the street. Upon impact at two hundred miles per hour, the car wrecked and sent Ashton flying. Ashton had the wind knocked out of him, but, having dragon scales across his body, there were no visible serious injuries; he is still part human. Someone called nine one one for an ambulance. He sat up, wincing and holding his head. Dizziness overwhelmed him, and his vision blurred and spun. The young man groaned. The ambulance, coming in by enchantment, landed beside him. Three Elvan medics came out and checked him over. They tried to check his eyes with a flashlight, but he shut his eyes; the light was a little too much.
"That hurts my head," the young man said, rubbing his eyes. The medics looked at one another, concerned.
"Sir, can you tell us your name or who you are?" one medic asked as they helped him into the ambulance, as another came in and checked on the driver.
"Doram, Ashton Doram." The young man said as he climbed in. The medics took off, taking him to the hospital to check over what was wrong with him. They sent out a message to the hospital and to contact friends and family about what happened to Ashton. Ashton stayed sitting up in case he had a concussion; he couldn't lie down and risk going to sleep. A concussion for a dragon could cause semi-permanent damage if they went to sleep right after. Medical records have shown that the rate of brain bleeds or skull fractures in dragons compared to most other species that get concussions and sleep after is higher by almost seventy percent. No matter what percentage of a person is human or not, if there is dragon DNA, it is just as dangerous to sleep after a concussion.
On the way to the hospital, Ashton got an idea to prank his friends and his partner by pretending he had amnesia. He thought it would be fun to see how everyone reacts to him saying he lost his memories. He would tell his folks about it to help keep up with it, and say he couldn't remember most outside his family. Once the ambulance landed, they helped Ashton into the hospital. The staff in the hospital treated him as almost critical. Whenever Ashton was to lie down, he would dig his claws into his arm to keep himself awake while they checked over everything. It wasn't serious, just to avoid screens and any type of screen in any way possible. The staff brought a communication stone to contact their family rather than a screen device. The benefit of magic existing in the world. He held the stone in his hand and breathed mist that swarmed the stone, then formed an image in front of him. Many mixed-race creatures there.
"Ashton!!" a young woman, a little older than him, Identical to him except with pale white skin, more scales, and black hair, screamed into the image, crying. "Are you okay?! Are you dying?! Are the staff treating your injuries?! Please don't die on us here!!!"
"Calm down, Aisha," Ashton laughed. "I'm fine, but I appreciate that you care so much, big sis."
Ashton's older sister kept crying while the others in his family got a chance to talk to him. His mother, a human with pale skin, black hair, and green eyes, asked what happened. His dad, a dragon with dark skin, scales, and eyes the same colour as Ashton's, sent money to his account to pay for the bill and to treat himself once he is discharged from the hospital. His three younger brothers, who look like his sister, were goofing off and making him laugh. His younger sisters, who look like him, had promised they would help if he needed it. He told them about his idea for a prank on his friends, and they all told him to be careful and not to go too far with anything. After a few minutes, he hung up. Then, almost immediately afterwards, Ashton's friend group ran inside, almost crashing through the door while getting stuck.
"Ashton!" Makenzie, a Kitsuné girl with brown hair and fur, lightly tan skin, and bright red eyes that welled up in tears, her ears and tail pinned downward in panic, came leaping in over everyone else. "We heard what happened!!"
"You okay, dude?!" Xavier, a gorgon with blond hair, snake features, and bright neon eyes.
"Please tell me you aren't dying on us!!" Tyler, a sadder with grey fur and hair, with dark eyes, was at his side once he and his twin, Devon, got unstuck from the door.
"Um," Ashton fought back a smile. He wasn't going to go too hard with his friends. "Who are you guys?"
"Oh, God! He has amnesia! He's dying!" Makenzie screamed, crying.
"Oh, Makenzie, that doesn't happen to any creature in this world!" Xaver scolded her. At that moment, a gargoyle came in, sharp features, and the type of man any person, man or woman, would drool over and would gladly have a romantic relationship with, a cold expression set on his face, his skin grey as stone, and his eyes almost glowing a faint blue.
"Lance!" Makenzie called him over in a panic. "Ashton doesn't remember any of us!"
Lance's eyes widened slightly. Then he looked at Ashton. He was quick; his talons clicked on the floor until he was standing beside Ashton's bed. The tension completely changed in the room. Ashton watched him and couldn't tell what Lance was thinking. Ashton and Lance have never spoken more than two words in a sentence since they were in high school a few years ago. Lance was always cold and aloof with everyone. Ashton didn't understand why Lance was present.
"Uh," Ashton began, his hands fiddling with his sleeve, less sure of the prank now that Lance was acting like this with him. "Who are you?"
"..." Lance was staring at Ashton for a while, then took his hand and made eye contact with him. "I'm your partner."