The evening air was warm and heavy, carrying the smell of dust, tobacco, and fried snacks from the small roadside pan shop. A few people stood around talking, while bikes passed lazily on the road. It was an ordinary day—quiet, simple, and unimportant.
Han Chandu stood at the counter, holding a few coins in his hand, his college bag resting on his shoulder. His clothes were simple, slightly worn, but clean. He didn't look like anything special—just another degree student from a poor farmer family trying to build a better future.
"Anna… get one more biscuit."
The voice came from behind him, casual and slightly irritated.
Chandu didn't turn. "You said you didn't want anything."
"Tch… I changed my mind."
Chandu let out a small sigh and handed the coins to the shopkeeper. "One more biscuit."
Behind him, his younger brother stood with his arms crossed, looking away as if he didn't care at all.
"…not like I wanted it or anything," he muttered.
Chandu almost smiled.
When they were younger, his brother always tried to take his things—books, clothes, even the smallest snacks. Back then, it used to irritate him. He thought his brother was selfish.
But after he turned fourteen, he understood.
It wasn't greed.
It was admiration.
His brother never knew how to express it properly.
"Here," Chandu said, tossing the biscuit packet toward him.
His brother caught it awkwardly. "…you could just give it normally."
"Then don't act like that."
"…idiot."
But he didn't throw it back.
They stepped out of the shop together. The sky was turning orange as the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon. The road ahead looked calm, with only a few vehicles passing now and then.
His brother opened the packet and hesitated for a second.
"…Anna, you want one?"
Chandu glanced at him briefly. "…you eat."
"…I was just asking."
A small silence followed, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was familiar.
They walked side by side along the roadside, their footsteps steady and unhurried. For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then—
A horn blasted through the air.
Loud. Sharp. Too close.
Chandu's head snapped to the side.
A truck.
Speeding.
Out of control.
The distance between them closed in an instant.
His brother stood in the middle of the road, frozen, his eyes wide with shock. His body refused to move.
"A-Anna…!"
That voice—no attitude, no irritation—only fear.
There was no time to think.
No time to hesitate.
Chandu moved.
He grabbed his brother and pushed him away with all the strength he had.
"Anna—!!"
Their eyes met for a split second.
Fear.
Shock.
Desperation.
And something else—
Trust.
Then—
Impact.
The world shattered.
Sound disappeared.
Light collapsed into darkness.
His body felt weightless for a moment, as if everything had been stripped away.
And in that final instant, a single thought crossed his mind.
Good… he's safe.
Everything went black.
Silence.
Then—
"…it's a boy!"
A distant voice echoed, faint and unclear.
Warmth surrounded him.
Light flickered at the edge of his vision.
But his mind—
Was empty.
No memories.
No past.
No identity.
Only the beginning of