Mark's POV

I decided that Felix and Cry were probably still outside, so I began making my way to the staircase. As I swiftly passed several lingering people, I noticed that no one was sending me confused glances anymore. They must have really forgotten everything they'd been aware of. Ethan was telling the truth.

I started running for the staircase. If everyone had been freshly mind-erased, it was possible that Cry had completely forgotten his theory. Not only that, but Felix and Cry wouldn't remember meeting me here.

As I pulled open the door and began skipping stairs, another thought hit me: Why hadn't Ethan come with me? Why did he want to wait until he saw us in the cafeteria for dinner?

He might have been in trouble with Katherine. She might still suspect him, so he stays hidden away in his room?

I swung open the door at the bottom of the stairs and darted through the hallway leading to the front door.

Once I burst through the front door, I was met with, what I guessed was, two hundred people. I tried peering through the crowd for Felix and Cry, but couldn't see more than three feet in any direction. I sighed before beginning to push my way through the crowd of confused people.

However, it wasn't long before a women's voice rang throughout the field, "Hello, dear residents!"

I stopped pushing my way through the crowd and ducked down. If that was Katherine and she re-erased everyone's minds because of me, I needed to act oblivious.

I stood up again and tried not to look worried. I glanced around and observed that everyone had started walking toward the back of the house. I followed along, hoping to blend in.

Maybe this was why Ethan had decided to stay in his room. He knew he'd have to blend in and not draw attention to himself, so he refused the idea all together.

As I turned the corner to the back of the house with everyone else, I was met with a stage. I brought my eyebrows together. What in the world?

On the stage stood a woman who looked to be in her thirties. She was wearing a lab coat and glasses, and had her dirty-blond hair tied back in a ponytail.

She smiled and lifted a microphone up to her mouth. "My name is Katherine, and I am the owner of this house. You'll all be staying with me for the time being!"

Everyone in the audience began clapping or cheering. I forced a smile and clapped my hands.

Katherine raised her hands to silence the crowd. Once everyone was quiet, she continued, "I know all of you are very confused right now, and that you remember nothing besides your name. Not long ago, I was in the same situation. However, as is my duty, I will help every one of you to retrieve your lost memories and return you safely to the world in which you belong!"

The crowd went berserk with excitement. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't sure if I completely trusted Ethan yet, but something was definitely off about Katherine.

Before I could contemplate much further, someone in the audience yelled, "If you're the one in charge, shouldn't you at least give us an explanation?!"

Katherine's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained it. "I am unsure of exactly what happened, but I most certainly will help everyone here to get back to where they should be."

The crowd cheered again, but not quite as loudly. I stood on the tips of my feet to get a better view of the same man retorting, "Why are you in charge if you don't know what's going on?"

Katherine seemed angry, but smiled through it. "I'm not in charge of anyone. Everyone here can take care of themselves and use right judgment to know what's right from what's wrong. Now, Robert, if you could refrain yourself from asking anymore questions, we could all go get something to eat in the cafeteria." Katherine grinned brightly. "Who's hungry?"

The crowd began cheering and clapping once again as Katherine exited the stage. I peered around the crowd to find that everyone had begun talking amongst themselves. I jumped, trying to find Felix and Cry.

I didn't see them, so I let the crowd push me back toward the front of the building. Once I could see the front door, I dove out of the crowd. I landed in the field of soft grass and laid down.

I stared up at the clouds while people rushed into the building. I could easily tell that Katherine was hiding something and that she was most likely the one who took away our memories to begin with.

It was also pretty clear that that Robert guy knew this as well.

As I stared up at the sky, I began to wonder what it was like for the people who knew me. The people with my physical body. I wondered if I was being controlled, or if I was just unconscious somewhere with my friends keeping watch over me.

Whoever they were, they were probably freaking out right about now.

Then, I remembered what Ethan had told me about the kids here being from an orphanage. I began to wonder if I had been at the orphanage as well. Not as an orphan, but as someone getting ready to adopt a kid.

From how I looked in Ethan's mirror, I couldn't have been any older than my late twenties. Almost all of the kids here seemed to be in their teens. Late twenties seemed like a relatively young age to be adopting a teenager. I'd be young enough to pass as an older brother.

Immediately after, another thought hit. Who was I adopting with?

Was I married? Did I manage to forget someone I was married to?

That couldn't have happened. I refused to believe that I'd forgotten someone I'd dedicated my life to.

But then, who was I adopting with? Maybe by myself, but someone had to have been watching my body in the human world. I had to have, at the very least, brought someone with me.

A best friend? That didn't seem right either.

Maybe someone I was in love with, but why would we be adopting a teenager? That seemed like quite the obligation.

I clutched my head in my hands. What the hell would I have been doing at an orphanage? Did I work at an orphanage?

That didn't seem to fit my personality, unless I managed to forget everything and completely reboot my personality. I doubted that.

Maybe I was just adopting with a friend?

I moved my hands from my head and laid them down beside me. Maybe I was just adopting with a friend.

But how the hell did we manage to get into this mess?

Before I could question myself further, someone laid down next to me. I turned my head to the right and found myself face to face with the blue haired boy.

I sighed while Ethan smiled. "So, you stuck around for Katherine's little speech?"

I groaned, "Yeah, and I feel compelled to go with your story."

He chuckled, "I figured you would." I looked back to the clouds and watched out of the corner of my eye as Ethan glanced up too. "What were you thinking about?"

"You said that the kids here were from an orphanage, so I assumed I was in the same place. That would make a connection for everyone here. I couldn't think of a good reason for why I would be at an orphanage, though."

Ethan laughed, "It really is incredible that so much of people's memories are erased. You never informed me of why you were going to that orphanage with your other friends, but I assumed it was for a video."

I turned to face him. "A video?"

Ethan's eyes briefly went wide before returning to normal. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't be hinting about everything too much. You're supposed to find out for yourself."

I sat up. "Speaking of me getting my memories back, shouldn't we be in the cafeteria with Felix and Cry to go over the plan?"

Ethan sat up beside me. "Yeah, did you find them?"

I grimaced slightly. "No, sorry."

"It's fine!" Ethan began as he quickly stood up. "But we have to find them before they get to the cafeteria!"

I stared at him blankly. "Isn't that where we were supposed to go anyway?"

Ethan yanked me off the ground. "Not the normal cafeteria! Katherine would be listening in to our conversations nonstop if we ate there! We have to go to the other cafeteria!"

With that, Ethan grabbed my arm and dragged me back into the house, away from the clouds.

A/N

I'm really glad that people appreciate me adding YouTubers whenever I want tbh

Like, I started writing this book because I wanted a fanfiction with as many people in it as possible and I'm really glad that I found a way to do that that makes sense lmao

Anyways, BUH-BYE BROTATOS!