UNMEMORY: THE LAST MOMENT

The Sunset That Never Ended

A Toyota four-wheel-drive tore through the heart of the Algerian Sahara, groaning under the strain of the rugged terrain.

The sun was setting. Orange light spilled across the dunes and rocks like liquid fire, as if the day was retreating slowly... without a sound.

Inside the car, the contrast was stark.

Elias and Mia sat in silence, their Algerian features hinting at an ancient bond with the land, as if the desert had shaped them. Mark, the massive Kenyan with tribal ink on his arm, remained quiet, while Sophie muttered rapid Spanish prayers under her breath, her anxiety palpable.

Oliver—their university friend from France—stared out at the desert as if it were something far greater than he could comprehend. Layla, the Frenchwoman, appeared strangely more familiar with the place than Elias had expected.

Professor Miller, their physics instructor, had organized the trip. His justification was simple: an open site, a clean horizon, and the perfect place to observe a lunar eclipse.

Oliver held the steering wheel with one hand, driving faster than the road deserved. He laughed, breaking the tension.

"If we're late for the eclipse, Miller's gonna lecture us about black holes the whole ride home."

Miller replied calmly from the back seat.

"Slow down, Oliver. If we die now, you won't hear my explanation... but you'll become part of Earth's physics sooner than expected."

Oliver chuckled and eased off the gas.

Layla turned back with a gentle smile.

"Slow down more... Mia is trying to capture the horizon."

Mia nodded gratefully, adjusting her camera angle. Sophie, meanwhile, was filming the road and the sunset without much interest—simply because her phone never left her hand.

In the front seat, Elias wasn't looking at the road.

He was staring at his left wrist.

A dark, irregular birthmark marked his skin—an old trace he couldn't recall appearing. He reached toward it, hovering his fingers for a moment, then lowered his hand before touching his skin.

Layla noticed the movement. She glanced at his hand, then at his face... and said nothing.

Suddenly, the engine coughed.

Then it died.

The dashboard screen went dark. The headlights dimmed. The music cut off mid-note.

Oliver opened his mouth to comment, then closed it, staring in confusion at the dead instruments.

Everyone stepped out of the car.

Mark opened the hood, leaning in to adjust a cable before stepping back. Oliver kicked a small stone away from his foot in frustration.

The others wandered a little farther away.

Nearby stood a smooth rock, covered in thick dust. Mia brushed her hand across its surface, revealing a strange carving—precise geometric lines, unlike the known Tassili drawings.

Sophie quickly filmed the spot with the sunset in the background. Mia took a photo, simply because the light was beautiful.

No one stopped at the carvings.

And no one would remember ever passing them.

Minutes later, the engine roared back to life.

Mark closed the hood and wiped his hands on an old rag. "Loose cable. Wasn't secured properly."

Oliver shrugged. "So the car decided to take a break?"

"Exactly." Mark offered a faint smile.

The car started. They returned to their seats.

As night approached, Professor Miller announced they would camp right there. He gestured toward the horizon, as if the decision had been made long ago.

When night fully settled, the moon began to rise slowly.

Everyone became busy setting up the equipment.

Elias walked away alone. He said he would wash his face at a nearby pool and didn't wait for a reply.

The pool was still, reflecting the sky before darkness fully claimed it.

He leaned down... then froze.

In the reflection, he didn't see only his face.

There was something else... floating behind his shoulder.

He turned quickly.

Only air.

He looked back at the water.

The thing was still there.

A watch.

Its surface was smooth, matte black, barely reflecting the moonlight.

When he pulled it from the water, he felt it couldn't break—not because it was solid, but because the concept of breaking simply didn't apply.

A small screen lit up. An unfamiliar symbol moved briefly, then faded.

He pressed the button without thinking.

Sound vanished first.

Then, the sense of direction.

He was standing near the car—but the car was moving.

He had no shadow.

His mere presence distorted the air, and the electricity around him seemed to die.

He watched himself step out of the car with the others—a ghost witnessing his own past.

He clenched his hand around the watch.

Then—

Night returned.

He collapsed to his knees by the pool, gasping for air.

He hadn't taken more than two steps back when he heard a voice behind him.

"Elias?"

Professor Miller stood there. He watched him for a moment longer than necessary.

"Dizziness," Elias lied, wiping his forehead with his sleeve.

Miller nodded slowly.

"Let's go back to the camp. Layla's looking for you."

Elias sat among the others. The watch was hidden beneath his sleeve, burning against his skin.

The eclipse began.

Earth's shadow slowly crawled across the moon.

On the table, Sophie's phone was open to a set of new photos. Elias glanced at them—then looked away.

He raised his head.

Professor Miller was staring at the sky—not at the moon, but at the emptiness around it.

Their eyes met for a single second.

And when the eclipse was complete, Elias felt the watch was no longer something he wore—it had fused with him.

Across the camp, Professor Miller raised his eyes to the empty sky and smiled.

[End of Chapter One]