The light breeze was brushing against her neck, while her dark, brown hair, tied up in a ponytail, swished from side to side in every step. A few drops of sweat ran on her body, making her wince as they touched the scar on her abdomen.

You got this, she thought. A few more meters, and it's a new record.

An old lady greeted her as the young woman continued running, even if her leg had started to protest in pain.

That was her daily routine. Wake up, be thankful that you are alive, and run.

Alba Rivet had spent almost a month in a hospital, staring at the white ceiling while the doctors ran their tests and the nurses tried to make her comfortable. She was tired of lying and doing nothing. She was tired of being helpless, crying at night, and reading notes to remember basic things about her life.

The moment the doctor said that she could start running again, Alba felt relieved. Somehow she had managed to get out of the destroyed car, and no one could believe how fast her body had healed. However, she wished they could say the same about her brain.

The smartphone that wrapped around her wrist beeped, and she smiled triumphantly.

I'm almost back. A few more weeks, and I might be close enough to reach my personal record.

The smartphone beeped again, reminding her of a meeting she couldn't postpone.

Fuck! Kayla is going to kill me if I'm late.

Alba turned off the timer and started running, at a lower speed, toward her apartment. The smells from the flower shop hit her nostrils, increasing her urge to stop and admire the beautiful flowers.

Maybe tomorrow, she promised to herself, but not before she caught a glimpse of a flower with rose petals and white center. Something about that flower was familiar, but as usual, her mind was blank.

The cells inside her brain had started working, desperately trying to find a connection, and she was so captivated that she failed to see the car that was moving in her direction.

The scene lasted a few seconds because the driver managed to stop the car before hitting Alba, but a memory had enough time to surface.

One moment she was in the middle of the road, panting from the avoided accident, and the next moment she was sitting in her car staring in terror at the truck that was moving fast, ready to hit her. Alba's hand reached to the right to grab something while her leg was pressing the gas pedal, but it was pointless. The truck crashed into her car, and she forgot everything she ever was.

"Miss, are you okay? I didn't hit her. I stopped. She didn't check the road before walking." The driver was trying to excuse himself before anyone had a chance to blame him.

Alba took a deep breath and faced a pair of worried eyes and a few faces waiting for her response.

She tried to speak but failed. Her knees were bent, and her body leaned forward while she rested her palms on her knees.

Pointing with her finger, she showed that she was okay.

"Miss, you should check the road. If I hadn't stopped..." The driver put his hands on each side of his head and moved it in shock.

"I'm sorry, but I'm fine," she said, but she wasn't sure if she was telling it to the driver or herself. "I really am. I have to go. I'm sorry."

Her steps led her to the apartment where she lived for the last seven years. Sometimes it felt cold and lonely. It belonged to a part of her life that was a blur in her mind.

"Retrograde amnesia" had said her doctor, describing the mess that her mind was and ever since that phrase would haunt her.

She took a shower and changed into jeans and a shirt. The cab was waiting for her the moment she stepped out.

"To the General Hospital, please."

A familiar, freckled face met her at the entrance of the hospital.

"I'm gonna kill you."

Alba chuckled. "I know, but first, let's see how terribly my mind is working."

They went straight to the doctor's office. It was a familiar place now. Every week, the same process: her best friend would meet her before the appointment, and they would talk for hours with the doctor about the progress. Sometimes, she could talk about her childhood and the trips she had done with her parents across the world. Then, the doctor would ask her something about the recent years, and Kayla would look at her waiting for Alba's face to light up. Unfortunately, most times, her eyes wouldn't shine in acknowledgment.

"Any new memories?"

"I remembered a few classes of the first year of university. A couple of conversations with my mom." Her voice came low as the last word left her mouth.

"You must understand that you have made excellent progress. I'm afraid, though, that the tragic incident is putting a barrier and is stopping you from remembering. I think you should continue meeting with the psychologist. Dr. Smith can help you cope with your parents' death. A part of you hasn't experienced it, and another doesn't want to live it again. You must find a balance if you want to have a chance to remember."

"What if I never remember the last years? I keep receiving texts from people I don't know. I can't work. My fingers move automatically on the keyboard, and the textbooks look familiar, but I'm not sure if I know what I'm doing." Her voice broke down, and Kayla reached out and grabbed her hand.

"We'll figure it out together."

Alba turned her face and wished she was as hopeful as her childhood friend.

"I don't know, K. I just feel it's pointless," she said the last phrase looking at her doctor. "I wake up at night, and I don't know if I had a dream or a memory. Last week, some Nate guy texted me, and I didn't know him. How could I? I met him three years ago. I'm sick of that."

She stood up and started pacing in the room with her hands on her hips.

"It's not pointless. The fact that you have glimpses of the last years is amazing. I know it's frustrating, but that's why I'm here. And you are lucky to have Kayla, who is always there to tell if it's a dream or reality."

A wave of regret hit her hard. She was alive, and yet she was whining like a baby. Kayla was by her side from the second she heard about the car accident and she had told her patiently every detail from her name to her favorite food or color.

She wiped away a tear and took a deep breath.

"Alright. I'll meet with Dr. Smith again. One step at a time, right, doc?"

"That's the spirit. You are a strong woman, and you'll overcome this. Don't forget that."

"I won't." She put her hand on Kayla's shoulder while Kayla leaned her head.

Alba stared at the red hair as another memory surfaced. A small, red notebook with the number 23 on the front page was in her hands, but Alba had no such thing.

Shaking her head in confusion, she put the memory in the back of her head with everything else she couldn't unravel.

The two women left the hospital and parted their ways after Kayla made sure that her best friend would be okay. She knew how hard it was not to remember, but it wasn't the amnesia the one that worried her. Alba wasn't herself recently, as if something was missing, and the doctor was worried that a part of her would never be back.

Alba was checking some photos on her laptop, trying to put faces on the names of people who sent her worried messages after the accident, when a strange sound filled the bedroom.

She checked her phone and her wrist smartphone, but the annoying beeping continued. Getting out of the bed, she tried to identify the whereabouts of the source. Something was in her wardrobe, but she didn't remember putting a gadget there.

Tossing aside T-shirts, skirts, and blouses, she emptied the drawers, but nothing was inside.

She was ready to give up the search since the sound had stopped when the tips of her fingers found an odd crease on the bottom of the drawer. Everything looked perfect, but it felt that something wasn't in place. She started inspecting the crease when with a push, she managed to remove the surface of the drawer.

However, instead of the bottom of the wardrobe, she came face to face with a small, hidden space. More frustrating was the fact that in there lay a mobile phone, a type that Alba had never seen. It looked too modern, too flashy, and not hers.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed.

The screen of the phone lit up, and Alba took it in her hands when a message popped up.

"Agent 23, you have been activated."

She raised her eyebrows in amusement, and then, she laughed.

"Oh my god, Kayla. Well done!" She continued laughing, believing that it was another one of the famous pranks that Kayla did from time to time. "Call Kayla," she said toward her smartphone, and her friend's name appeared on the screen.

"Hello? Did something happen?"

"You tell me. What did you do this time?" Alba sat on the bed, the strange phone still in her hands.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, K. I know it was you. How did you find that phone? It looks so...fancy," she added the last word after a few seconds, unable to describe it otherwise.

"Albie, what's wrong? What are you talking about?" Kayla's concerned voice filled the room, but Alba wouldn't let her go easily.

"An agent? What will you tell me next time? That I am an alien?" She continued laughing.

"You scare me. I don't know anything about that."

She isn't lying. It's not a prank. What the hell have you done?

Alba had run to the bathroom and was looking at her reflection in the mirror as if she was waiting for an answer from the person she was before the accident.

"Okay, you know what? I'm coming over there," Kayla's authoritative voice said.

The strange phone beeped again.

"The car will arrive in five minutes. Be ready to depart."

Alba's face turned pale, and her heart started beating fast.

Who are you? she thought.

"No, don't," she said. Her voice was louder than she wished. "I just...It was a bad dream, that's all. I'll have some tea, and I'll be fine. Sorry, K. Love you."

She ended the call and watched the time.

One minute had passed, and the time was running out.

What type of clothes do agents wear?

She picked up black trousers and a black, long-sleeved top and put her hair in a ponytail.

What am I doing?

The reflection on the mirror didn't answer.

She put on her trainers and left her apartment after she remembered to take the new phone with her.

A black SUV arrived in front of the building the moment she got out.

A tall, intimidating man greeted her. "It's good to see you again."

Alba nodded and entered the car. One woman was in the backseat.

"Hello, Agent 23. PROTEA needs you, and you are the only one who can help us."