A Soul Without Shore

I lose my memory and wander the streets, surviving on scraps and the kindness of strangers.

Then, Miles Blackwood from the Institute of Medical Research finds me and takes me in. He tells me that I'm his long-lost fiancee who ran away years ago, and that he's spent every ounce of energy searching for me ever since.

As I'm frail and riddled with illness, he watches over me as I take my medication every day, tracing the scar on my lower back with a strange, tender affection.

But everything shatters the day I regain my memory.

I accidentally overhear Miles speaking to a friend.

"Miles, you forcibly removed Cassidy's kidney for Claudia back then. That was what caused her to lose her memories. And in the end, you let Claudia take all the credit for the research.

"Now, after Cassidy's been suffering out there for years, you're bringing her back just to use her for the artificial kidney project? Aren't you worried that she'll regain her memories?"

Miles scoffs.

"She's incredibly grateful to me now. Besides, she's just a sickly woman. So what if she finds out? As long as we succeed in the research on artificial kidneys, Claudia will become the star of the medical world. As for Cassidy? She'll have made her contribution to the medical field."

A cold chill rushes through me in an instant—I am Cassidy.

After I heard the conversation Miles Blackwood had with his friend, Bjorn Nolan, I pretty much had to lean against the wall for support to keep myself upright.

"Cassidy's lost so much because of you. She nearly died and was almost trafficked for… Anyway, you should treat her better," Bjorn said.

Miles was quiet for a while. Then, he said, "Yeah. I've actually been searching for her these past few years."

He fell silent briefly before continuing, "I admit I was reckless with the surgery back then. But since I've hurt her, it's only right that I take care of her now. It's my way of atoning."

"Then why are you planning to implant her with that newly developed artificial kidney that hasn't even been released to the market yet? Is it really worth it to do so much for Claudia? You even give Claudia all the credit for the institute's research achievements."

"She's the reason why I'm doing all this. I'm willing to give my all to see that she succeeds. No one else matters to me."

Miles spoke with such resoluteness.

"Besides, Cassidy's just a sickly woman. What could she possibly know? She's still under the impression that she's my fiancee! If the artificial kidney ends up being compatible with her, consider that my way of making it up to her. I'd even be giving her a chance at contributing to mankind!"

Bjorn sighed. "In the state that she's in, do you really think that she'd be able to pull through the procedure? What if something goes wrong? You'll regret it!"

The conversation went on, but all of