Chapter 1

On April Fool's Day, my sister and I moved into our new apartment.

Mr. Johnson Mr. Johnson's fridge was covered with notes containing bizarre rules.

One of them read: Never eat anything from the neighbor in 404---she'll consume parts of your memory.

I dismissed it as Mr. Johnson's holiday prank.

That afternoon, the neighbor from 404 knocked on our door and brought over a freshly baked tiramisu.

I thanked her with a smile and immediately put it in the fridge.

The next morning when I woke up,

my sister pointed at me in terror and asked, "Who are you?"

"Chloe, what are you talking about? I'm your sister."

I stepped forward to take her hand,

but Chloe backed away,

grabbing a throw pillow and clutching it tightly to her chest.

"I don't know you! Who are you! How did you get into my home!"

I froze in place.

The fear and resistance in Chloe's eyes didn't look like an act.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Chloe, calm down. We just moved in together yesterday, don't you remember?"

Chloe shook her head frantically, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't remember having a sister!"

I pulled out my phone, opened my photo album, and handed it to her.

"Look, this is us at the beach last month. You forgot?"

In the photo, we were smiling brightly, her arm linked intimately with mine.

A flash of confusion crossed Chloe's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by wariness.

"Photos don't mean anything---they can be AI-generated!"

"Then look at our chat history."

I opened SnapChat, hundreds of messages, scrolling up endlessly.

Chloe glanced at it and pushed the phone back.

"My phone was stolen. How do I know you didn't fake this?"

I was stunned.

She was right---her phone had been stolen a few days before we moved.

It was precisely because our old rental had such a chaotic environment that we'd decided to move.

I looked at Chloe, my mind in turmoil.

Could memories just vanish like that?

She knew her name was Chloe, knew her phone had been stolen, but she'd forgotten me entirely.

I suddenly remembered yesterday's note on the fridge.

I spun around and rushed into the kitchen, yanking open the fridge door.

The tiramisu was gone.

My hands were shaking.

How could something so coincidental and bizarre happen in this world?

I suppressed the panic rising in my chest and called Mr. Johnson.

The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. A drowsy voice came through.

"Hello?"

"Sir, this is Aria, I just moved into your place yesterday."

"I want to ask about the rules you posted on the fridge. My sister ate something from the 404 neighbor, and now she doesn't recognize me!"

The voice on the other end paused for two seconds, then burst into laughter.

"Young lady, don't you know what day yesterday was? April Fool's Day! I just wrote those notes for fun. Is your sister upset with you about something?"

"She's not upset. She genuinely doesn't recognize me."

My voice cracked with urgency.

But Mr. Johnson still treated it as a joke.

"Come on, nobody loses their memory after one night's sleep. You young folks just love pranking each other."

The call ended.

I rushed to door 404 and pressed the doorbell.

The door opened quickly. Mrs. Patterson was wearing an apron, holding a spatula, looking at me with confusion.

"Young lady, it's so early. Is something wrong?"

"Ma'am, what did you put in that tiramisu box you gave us yesterday?"

"My sister doesn't recognize me after eating it!"

Mrs. Patterson looked stunned, then showed an innocent, amused expression.

"How is that possible? It's just regular cake. I ate some myself."

She stepped aside slightly.

"I still have some left from yesterday. Why don't you come in and try it?"

"Maybe your sister hasn't been sleeping well lately. Sometimes poor sleep can cause hallucinations. Should I help you schedule a doctor's appointment?"