Amanda never thought she would feel so hollow after returning to her world. The moment she stepped back into her old life, everything felt… dull. The colors weren’t as vibrant, the sounds weren’t as rich, and worst of all, Elias was gone. Every night, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering if he was real or just a dream that her heart refused to let go of.
Days turned into weeks, and though she tried to move on, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was missing. Even the smallest things reminded her of him. The scent of the rain, the warmth of the sun on her skin, the way the wind whispered through the trees. She had never believed in soulmates before, but now she wondered if she had left hers behind in another world.
One fateful afternoon, Amanda was walking through the city, lost in her thoughts. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going, her mind drifting between reality and the past. Then, out of nowhere—
BAM!
She collided hard into someone, stumbling backward from the impact. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked up, ready to apologize.
And then… she froze.
The man standing before her had the same piercing eyes, the same sharp jawline, the same messy yet perfect dark hair. Her breath hitched, her world tilting on its axis. It was him. It had to be.
“Elias?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The man blinked in confusion. “Uh… do I know you?”
Amanda felt her stomach drop. No. No, this wasn’t right. This was Elias—she knew it in her bones. But he was looking at her like she was a stranger.
“I—I’m sorry,” she stammered, stepping back, her mind racing. “You just… you look exactly like someone I—” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “—someone I lost.”
The man looked at her, his brow furrowed. “My name’s Elias,” he said slowly, as if testing the words. “But I don’t think we’ve met before.”
Her heart clenched. The same name. The same face. The same everything. And yet… he didn’t remember her.
Amanda’s hands trembled at her sides. Was this some cruel joke? Was she imagining things? Or… could it really be him, lost in this world just as she had been?
She forced a smile, though her chest ached. “Nice to meet you, Elias,” she said softly.
Little did she know, this was only the beginning of a story neither of them were prepared for.
---
Amanda’s heart raced as she sat across from Elias in the small café. The way he stirred his coffee, the slight tilt of his head when he was lost in thought—it was all so painfully familiar. Yet, the eyes that once gazed at her with recognition now held only polite curiosity.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "You really don’t remember anything?" she asked, gripping the edge of the table.
Elias frowned slightly, setting his cup down. "Amanda... I wish I could say I did. But the truth is, I don’t. I’ve lived here all my life. My parents—well, the people I call my parents—raised me in this city. I’ve never been anywhere else."
Amanda bit her lip. The logical part of her knew that maybe, just maybe, this was all a strange coincidence. But her heart screamed otherwise. Every fiber of her being told her that this was her Elias—the one she had lost, the one she had mourned. The universe wouldn’t be so cruel as to put his face, his voice, his mannerisms in front of her and let him be a stranger.
And yet, here he was, a man with no recollection of her.
She let out a soft chuckle, trying to mask the pain. "You know, it’s funny. You have the same name as someone I once knew. Someone very important to me."
Elias’s expression softened. "He must’ve meant a lot to you."
Amanda nodded. "More than I can put into words. He was... everything. And losing him nearly destroyed me."
Silence hung between them. Elias reached across the table, his fingers brushing hers. "I may not remember, but I do know one thing: from the moment I met you, something inside me felt different. Like a part of me had been missing all along. I don’t understand it, but being with you feels... right."
Tears pricked Amanda’s eyes, but she blinked them away. "Maybe fate works in strange ways."
He smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "Maybe it does."

---
Days turned into weeks, and Amanda found herself drawn deeper into Elias’s world. They spent countless hours together, sharing stories, laughing over coffee, and walking through the city streets late at night. Even though he didn’t remember, the connection between them was undeniable.
One evening, they sat on a park bench, watching the sun set. Elias turned to her, his gaze intense. "Amanda... I don’t know what this feeling is, but I don’t want to fight it anymore. I want to be with you."
Amanda’s breath hitched. "Elias, are you sure? You don’t have to force anything."
"I’m not forcing it," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Being with you feels like home. Like I’ve known you forever, even if I can’t remember how."
Her heart swelled with emotion. This was all she had ever wanted—to be with him, to love him again. Maybe, just maybe, this was enough.

---
Months passed, and their love only grew stronger. Elias proposed one chilly autumn evening, under the glow of streetlights and the soft rustle of falling leaves. With tears in her eyes, Amanda said yes, her heart bursting with happiness. Even if he didn’t remember their past, their future was theirs to create.
Their wedding day was perfect. As Amanda walked down the aisle, she saw Elias waiting for her, his eyes filled with an emotion so deep it nearly took her breath away. In that moment, it didn’t matter that he had forgotten. What mattered was that he had chosen her all over again.

---
But fate wasn’t done with them yet.
It started with dreams. Fragments of memories, glimpses of another life. Elias would wake up in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. At first, he dismissed them as nothing more than imagination. But as they grew more vivid, he couldn’t ignore them any longer.
One night, he turned to Amanda, his voice barely above a whisper. "Amanda... I keep seeing you in my dreams. But it’s not here. It’s somewhere else. And I... I think I was someone else."
Amanda froze. "What do you mean?"
He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his expression. "I see a different world. A different me. And I see you, always you. Like I’ve lost something, something important."
Her hands trembled as she reached for him. "Elias... you’re remembering."
His breath hitched. "Remembering what?"
She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who you really are."

---
Elias couldn’t sleep that night. Images flooded his mind—moments he didn’t remember living, emotions so raw they made his chest ache. He saw Amanda in another world, reaching for him. He saw himself whispering her name, promising he’d find her.
And then, like a dam breaking, it all came crashing back.
He gasped, his body jolting upright in bed. Amanda stirred beside him, concern in her sleepy gaze. "Elias?"
He turned to her, his voice shaking. "Amanda... I remember everything."
Tears filled her eyes as she sat up, her hands clutching his. "You do?"
He nodded, his expression unreadable. "I came back for you. I searched for you. But somewhere along the way, I forgot. I forgot everything."
Amanda let out a shaky breath. "But you found me. Even when you didn’t remember, you still found me."
Elias cupped her face, his thumb brushing away her tears. "Because my heart never forgot you. No matter where I was, no matter what happened, I was always meant to find you again."
A sob escaped Amanda’s lips as she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. "I love you," she whispered against his skin. "I never stopped."
He kissed her forehead, his voice thick with emotion. "And I never will."
As they held each other, the weight of their journey settled around them. Fate had tested them, separated them, and even erased their memories. But in the end, love had guided them back to where they belonged.
Together.
The End.
"The universe may separate us, but our souls will always recognize each other." -Author