Flashback
"Who are you?" Alfred asked, his voice soft and uncertain.
The stranger smiled gently. "Perhaps you don't remember me… but I'm an old friend."
Alfred studied his face, then returned the smile. "I don't recall, but you seem like a kind man."
A glimmer of hope sparked in the stranger's eyes. "Can we be friends?"
"Of course," Alfred replied. Then, frowning slightly, he added, "But why is there a barrier between us?"
The stranger looked away for a moment, as if gathering the courage to speak. "It's nothing," he said quietly. "Don't worry about it."
Then, with tears welling in his eyes, he stepped forward, and shattered the invisible barrier between them. The wall was gone. And together, they sat beneath an old tree.. that tree. The same tree where, one day, Martin would meet Rayan. But this was long before the disaster. Before everything changed.
Alfred looked up. "I'm a little hungry."
Without hesitation, the stranger rose. "Come with me."
He brought Alfred to his home, guiding him gently inside. "Wait here," he said with a grin. "I'll be right back."
He hurried down the hill, his heart pounding. As he reached the door, he called out with unusual joy, "Emma! I need you to prepare the best meal you can make!"
Emma turned in surprise. She had never seen Jonathan so full of light. "For whom is the food, Jonathan?" she asked gently.
"For Alfred," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "He's back… He can speak again. He's returned to his mind. I can't believe it."
Emma's eyes softened. She had seen how deeply Jonathan had grieved for Alfred, and how lost he had been without him.
She smiled. "I'll start right away."
Jonathan turned to go, still breathless with disbelief. "I'll bring him here," he said. "I'll be back soon."