Clutching onto Memories

Pardon me, sirs. A bit of an odd question for you, but...have you ever seen me before?

Huh? No, can't say that I have...

Me neither. Why do you ask?

Truth is, I washed up on this shore, but I have no idea who I am.

You mean you've lost your memory? You think could've be drowning and hit your head somehow?

Maybe so. I tried visiting the port town nearby, but no one there knew who I was.

I bet you're feeling pretty helpless about now. Do you want us to try and find any clues?

Would you?! That'd be a big help!

Sure! It's the least we could do.

Thank you! I think I have a place where you can start.

When I woke up, I was squeezing this so tight it made my hand bleed. I have a feeling it must be really important.

Never seen a pendant like that before. Thanks. We'll keep it in mind.

Now where should we look first?

Maybe we should try a place where he can't go and search. A place where you need a pass for entry, like Unigalna.

I see what you're saying. Sounds like a plan!

Aldo! Look!

Huh? Where?

Oh! The pendant! It's the same as the one the guy with amnesia had!

Excuse me?!

Say, can we ask you a bit about that pendant of yours?

Sure, I guess...

It's part of a matching pair. My brother has the other one, but he's gone missing. Since I ran out of leads on places to look, I asked a traveling trader to let me through to search this town.

Are you for real?!

Her brother's gotta be the guy we saw back in Serena Coast!

Wait! Do you know my brother?

We sure do. And he should still be somewhere near the Serena Coast. Why don't you come with us?

The guy who lost his memory should be right around here somewhere...

Hey, you look pretty familiar...

Brother! I can't believe it! You were here all along!

Now I remember... I'm quite a ways away from my hometown.

Yes. We come from a village on a small island far from here. My brother left to go fishing one day, and a sudden storm came through. But he never returned.

When I washed up on the beach, there wasn't a boat or a scrap of anything left. It must've been one heck of a storm.

You really don't remember anything? Nothing at all?

No, but I feel like I'm starting to remember things little by little just from seeing your face.

When I visited the port town and found that no one knew who I was, I got disillusioned. I almost started to think that maybe I never existed in the world in the first place.

......

It was then I felt so scared that all I could do was stare at the coast. The next thing I knew, you all were calling for me. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come. You saved me, and I'm forever grateful.

We didn't save you though. You saved yourself.

What do you mean?

We only made an opportunity for you. You were the one who held tight to that pendant. And because you never let it go, you were able to be reunited with your family today.

When there's no one to acknowledge who you are, you can't help start to doubt your own self. I know that fear very well. But even so, surely the only person who can decide who you are is you and you alone.

Serge...

Even without your memories, you kept hope in getting back to the family where you knew you belonged. No matter how far the waves swept you away, you wanted to be a brother again. The pendant that a storm couldn't rip away from you is proof of who you are. And it's those feelings that drew your destiny here.

I see...

Thank you again. I feel so much better now! I have a feeling that my memories will return to me soon enough. I just know it!

That's the spirit!

Let's go, brother! ...Together!

Isn't that great? I'm glad he finally got reunited with his family.

Yeah. But...

The only person who can decide who you are is you and you alone, huh? That little speech sounded like you were speaking from experience there. Wanna talk about it, Serge?

Haha! Nah, it's a long story.

But I will say this. If I had never been on this adventure, then there are people and experiences I would've missed out on. And when I think of that, I know that there's meaning in everything. And Aldo, that includes meeting you.