THE LOVE WE NEVER FORGET

EPISODE SEVEN

The Promise

Julius King stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at the photograph.

His hands had gone cold.

He turned it over again.

The message was still there.

You were never supposed to remember each other.

"What does that mean?" Jaden Knight asked behind him.

Julius didn't answer.

Jake Williams took a step closer.

"Julius."

Still nothing.

Juliet Brian stood beside Jessica Coal and Joan Robbert, her face pale.

She couldn't stop thinking about the memory.

A hospital.

A woman crying.

Six children being separated.

And Julius screaming her name.

But why?

She looked at him.

"Julius."

He finally turned.

Their eyes met.

For some reason, the fear in his eyes frightened her more than the message itself.

"What happened to us?" she whispered.

Julius shook his head.

"I don't know."

Adrian Vale appeared in the doorway.

"Everyone inside."

Nobody moved.

"Now."

His voice was firm enough to make them obey.

---

The six returned to the director's office.

Adrian locked the door.

That small action immediately made Jaden uncomfortable.

"Why are you locking us in?"

"Because I don't want anyone overhearing this conversation."

Jake folded his arms.

"Then start explaining."

Adrian looked at all six of them.

"You deserve answers."

Julius stepped forward.

"Finally."

Adrian sighed.

"The photograph you found is more than twenty years old."

Julius frowned.

"That's impossible."

"No."

Adrian pointed toward it.

"It was taken when you were children."

"But we aren't twenty years old," Jessica said.

"Exactly."

The room fell silent.

Joan frowned.

"Then how can the photograph be more than twenty years old?"

Adrian looked at her.

"Because the photograph wasn't taken when you think it was."

Jake's eyes narrowed.

"You're saying someone changed the date?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Adrian sat down.

"You need to understand something first."

He looked at Juliet.

"Your memories aren't complete."

Juliet swallowed.

"What does that mean?"

"You remember fragments."

"Why?"

"Because something happened when you were younger."

"What?"

Adrian hesitated.

"I don't know everything."

Julius slammed his hand against the desk.

"Then who does?"

Adrian looked at him.

"Lucas."

The room went completely silent.

Jaden spoke first.

"Lucas is alive?"

Adrian didn't answer.

"Sir?"

Still nothing.

Julius stepped forward.

"Is Lucas Vale alive?"

Adrian finally said,

"I don't know."

Julius stared at him.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the truth."

Jake asked,

"Then why are you afraid of him?"

Adrian's eyes hardened.

"I'm not afraid of Lucas."

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Adrian looked at the photograph.

"What he remembers."

---

That evening, the six friends sat together in an empty rehearsal room.

Nobody wanted to go back to their dorms.

Not yet.

They had spent their entire lives believing they knew each other.

Now they weren't sure what was real.

Jaden broke the silence.

"So..."

Everyone looked at him.

"We're still friends, right?"

Joan smiled sadly.

"Of course."

"Good."

He leaned back.

"Because I'm not starting over with five new people."

Jessica laughed softly.

"You're ridiculous."

"Maybe."

Jaden looked around.

"But we're still us."

Jake nodded.

"He's right."

Juliet looked at them.

Her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want to lose any of you."

Joan reached for her hand.

"You won't."

Jessica took her other hand.

"Never."

Jake nodded.

Jaden smiled.

Julius watched them quietly.

Then he reached across and placed his hand over Juliet's.

She looked at him.

His voice was soft.

"Whatever happened before..."

He squeezed her hand.

"We'll figure it out together."

Juliet smiled.

"Together?"

"Together."

The word brought back a strange feeling.

A memory.

Six children standing in a circle.

Their hands together.

A promise.

Whatever happens, we stay together.

Juliet suddenly gasped.

Everyone looked at her.

"What?" Julius asked.

She stared into space.

"I've heard that before."

"Where?"

"When we were children."

Julius leaned closer.

"What happened?"

Juliet closed her eyes.

"I don't know."

Then another image appeared.

A little Juliet standing in a room.

A little Julius stood beside her.

There were tears on his face.

Someone was pulling him away.

Juliet was screaming.

"Don't take him!"

A man's voice shouted:

"Separate them!"

Juliet opened her eyes.

She was breathing heavily.

Julius immediately held her shoulders.

"Juliet!"

She looked at him.

"They separated us."

His face went pale.

"What?"

"When we were children."

Julius stared at her.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

She shook her head.

"But someone didn't want us together."

Julius' expression hardened.

"Why?"

Before Juliet could answer—

the lights went out.

The room became completely dark.

Joan screamed.

"What happened?"

Jake stood.

"Stay calm."

Jaden reached for his phone.

"There's no power."

Jessica whispered,

"Guys..."

They all turned toward her voice.

A faint light appeared beneath the rehearsal room door.

Someone was standing outside.

Nobody moved.

Then three slow knocks sounded.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Julius stood in front of Juliet.

"Who's there?"

No answer.

He moved toward the door.

"Don't!" Juliet whispered.

Julius stopped.

"Why?"

She didn't know.

She only knew that something about those knocks felt familiar.

Then a voice came from the other side.

A man's voice.

Low.

Calm.

"Juliet."

Her heart stopped.

She knew that voice.

Not from today.

Not from yesterday.

From somewhere buried deep inside her childhood.

Julius looked at her.

"Do you know him?"

Juliet couldn't answer.

The voice spoke again.

"You promised me you would forget."

Juliet's eyes filled with tears.

A memory suddenly slammed into her mind.

A little boy standing in front of her.

Lucas.

He was holding her hand.

He was crying.

And he was saying:

"If you remember me, they'll come back."

Juliet stumbled backward.

Julius caught her.

The door handle slowly began to turn.

Jaden whispered,

"Someone's opening the door."

The handle stopped.

Silence.

Then a folded piece of paper slid underneath the door.

Nobody moved.

Finally, Jake picked it up.

He opened it.

There were only three words written inside.

ASK JULIUS FIRST.

Jake looked at Julius.

Julius stared at the message.

Then Juliet suddenly whispered,

"I remember."

Everyone turned toward her.

She looked directly at Julius.

And what she said next made his blood run cold.

"You weren't supposed to survive that night."