My entire life had been controlled and manipulated. It was all a big hoax. To say I was angry, was putting it lightly.

Every single memory I had of my life was only given to me because someone decided that they had the power to control what I remembered and what I did not.

There were so many aspects of my life that were completely wiped out. Simply for the sake of  "Societal Protection" as The Leaders put it.

I replayed the cassette of my mother, who had explained that our Leaders were the ones in control of our memories and what we learnt. She explained that it was done this way so that we would not become rebellious or pose a threat to our own kind.

I painfully recalled her breaking down into tears when she said she had lied to me when she had told me that nothing was wrong with me. She said that there was in fact something wrong with me and that the only way to fix it was to head to a special place across The Trinity Peaks. There were people there that would be able to help me and then there was a high chance I could receive my Glow. She had sounded so afraid when she said that The Leaders would take me away to their Facilities if they found out that I had no received my Glow. It would mean that I was different and The Leaders hated different. I had somewhat expected something of this sort to come. I suppose I was another Earl Dorin case.

Surprisingly,  what I could not get out of my head was what she had said to me about Emory.

"Giana. You must remember one thing. Emory is there to help you. His path has destined him to help you. He is meant to help you", she said before pausing.

"You must listen to everything he says. He knows better than most of us do", she said confidently.

There was something in her voice that compelled me to believe her. The last and final thing she said about Emory is what shocked me the most.

"If Emory ever tells you anything that contradicts what you have heard from me. Listen to me. Please Giana. Promise that you will listen to him. He is there to protect you and to help you. Please do not shut him out or ice him out like I know you have probably tried to", she said knowingly.

I had tears in my eyes. I missed my House so terribly much. I missed my room and my Parents. I missed my mother and her care the most.

"Above all Giana, stay true and stay safe", she pleaded.

"I Love You".

Click.

The cassette had ended at that. I craved to hear my mothers voice more. I wished I could hear more things that she had to say. I sighed. I understood. I now understood the severity of the situation. Which meant that I needed to get to The Trinity Peaks as soon as possible. My mother had told me to trust him, and I did.

I chastised myself for being naive and gullible. But I realised that I had heard this instruction from my mother. One of the most brave and most knowledgable people on the planet. I trusted her, and if she trusted Emory then so did I.

I looked up to see him still sitting across the table from me with wide frightened eyes. He had not a trace of sleepiness or tiredness in his eyes. I looked at him gently and reached my arm out across the table.

Slowly, he stretched his hand out to meet mine and wove his fingers into mine.

"Giana", he whispered, a tear slipping onto his cheek.

I smiled. It was touching that he had shed this much emotion over me. It only further solidified what my mother had said about him.

"Emory, I still do not remember anything about you. But my mother seems to have placed an awful lot of trust in you and I trust her with my life", I said slowly.

His face dropped and he loosened his grip on my hand.

I gripped his hand tighter, not letting it go.

"I trust you Emory", I said firmly.

Like a lamp, his face lit up. I smiled at the reaction and squeezed his hand before getting up from the table and heading to the bed.

"Can I sleep now? Or are there any more surprises you want to throw at me?", I said jokingly.

"You can sleep", Emory replied mutedly. He did not seem to find my 'joke' funny.

"Goodnight", he uttered before blowing out his bedside lantern and disappearing into his sheets.

I frowned but I could not let anything else prevent me from sleeping. I finally gave in to my body's demands and collapsed into the bed,falling asleep long before my head hit the pillow.