Lena woke up with a piercing headache, her body feeling heavy as if she had been dragged through a storm. She struggled to open her eyes, disoriented and confused. The darkness around her seemed endless, and for a moment, she couldn’t even remember how she had ended up here. The memories were a blur, slipping through her mind like sand.

Groaning, Lena managed to sit up on a bench. She winced as the noise around her intensified—sharp cries, as though someone was in pain. It felt like they were inside her head, cutting through her thoughts like a blade.

She rose shakily, determined to find the source of the noise. Rounding a corner, she saw two young men trying to wrestle a purse from an elderly woman. Without thinking, she shouted as loud as she could.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

One of the men turned to look at her, his eyes narrowing.

"Look, here's another one," he said to his friend, and they both advanced on Lena.

At that moment, the elderly woman grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed emergency services.

“Hello, yes, I’m at Lenin Alley, house 25. They tried to rob me, and now they’re harassing this girl.”

“We’ve received your call, ma’am. A patrol is already on its way.”

Lena kept her eyes on the attackers, hoping they would back off. But they didn’t.

The old woman, showing surprising courage, took a stone from the ground and hurled it at the men, distracting them from Lena. They turned toward her, furious.

Lena was about to react when, just in time, the police arrived, quickly subduing the attackers. The elderly woman, who introduced herself as Svetlana, looked at Lena with gratitude.

"What's your name, dear? You saved me!"

"Lena," she replied, still trying to process what had happened.

"I'm Svetlana. You must come with me; I'll make you some tea. I live just there," she pointed to a nearby building.

“Someone else called the police, not me,” Lena protested.

“Yes, but you weren’t afraid to step in. Not everyone would have done that,” Svetlana insisted.

Once inside Svetlana’s apartment, Lena found herself sitting in a brightly lit room, which made her head throb even more.

“Don’t be shy—come in. We need to treat your wound. What happened to you?” Svetlana asked as she gently examined Lena’s head, where blood had started to dry.

A few minutes later, a young boy of about six entered the room. He was very energetic, and Svetlana introduced him as Vitya, her grandson.

"Vitya, help out," Svetlana urged. "This is Lena, she saved me. I need you to bring my medical kit."

As they took care of Lena, she felt a strange familiarity with the boy, though she couldn’t place why. Afterward, they sat down to tea.

"I don’t remember anything," Lena admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Only my name… nothing else."

Svetlana’s face softened. “It’s okay. You hit your head hard. Maybe there’s something in your pockets that will help jog your memory.”

Lena’s jacket was fetched from the hallway, and when she checked her pockets, she found only a photograph. On the back, it read: “Don’t forget, sis. Misha.”

“I have a brother?” she asked, looking at the photo with confusion.

“Yes, it seems so. That’s good. It means someone might be looking for you. You’ll stay with us tonight, and we’ll figure out the next step tomorrow.”

The night passed with Lena unable to sleep, the headache gnawing at her mind. By morning, the clock read noon, and she stirred, still feeling dazed.

"Awake, my dear?" Svetlana greeted her with a warm smile.

"I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to sleep this long," Lena apologized.

"No need to apologize. I’ve already contacted some people. There are no missing person reports for women, but I’ve left your description. And we’re going to see a doctor later today. I’ve arranged everything."

"But I don’t have any documents," Lena said with worry.

"Don’t worry about that. You’ll be fine. People owe me a few favors," Svetlana smiled, a twinkle in her eye.

Lena later learned that Svetlana’s husband had passed away, and she had been a renowned surgeon in her time. Now, retired, she took care of her grandson while her son, Dmitry, worked long hours. Svetlana was determined to help Lena however she could.

After a lunch with Svetlana and Vitya, they took Lena to the hospital, where she was examined by a team of doctors. Her diagnosis was amnesia caused by the head injury. The doctors assured her that her memory would return with time.

"You’ll stay with us for now," Svetlana said, offering comfort. "I’ll take care of you just like I would if you were my daughter."

Two weeks passed, and Lena slowly settled into a new routine with Svetlana and Vitya. She helped around the house and grew closer to the family, learning that Vitya’s mother had left them years ago, and Dmitry was working hard to make ends meet.

One day, Lena expressed her desire to find a job, but Svetlana cautioned her to wait for the doctor’s permission first. When the doctors finally gave her the go-ahead, Svetlana took her to a friend of hers, Andrey Pavlovich, who owned a medical department.

Lena agreed to take a job as a cleaner, even though it wasn’t what she envisioned for herself. That evening, after receiving the good news, the family celebrated with cake.

"We’re having a celebration?" Vitya asked excitedly.

"I got a job. And it’s thanks to your grandmother," Lena explained with a smile.

"You’re not leaving, are you?" Vitya asked, his eyes wide with worry.

"Of course not. Who would let me go?" Lena reassured him, ruffling his hair.

The next day, Lena began her work at the hospital. While she started as a cleaner, she soon felt a strange sense of competence when interacting with the patients. One day, she instinctively assessed a patient’s condition and correctly diagnosed the problem, though she hadn’t remembered any of her medical training.

Her supervisor, Andrey Pavlovich, was taken aback, but his praise was reluctant.

Lena, still unsure of her past, continued to work hard, though the mystery of her identity weighed heavily on her. She often looked at the photo of her brother, Misha, wondering why he hadn’t come for her.

Weeks later, the unexpected happened: Misha arrived at Svetlana’s door, having traced his sister to the town. Lena recognized him instantly.

"Misha!" she cried, her head spinning.

“Lena, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” he exclaimed, rushing to embrace her.

After their reunion, Misha explained how he had been away on business when she disappeared, and how he had assumed she had taken time off due to personal issues. When he couldn’t reach her, he had become frantic.

"I’m so sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I didn’t know what happened."

With Misha’s arrival, Lena’s memories started to come back in flashes, but she still had much to uncover. She was overwhelmed, but happy to have found her brother again.

Four months later, as Lena settled into her new life, she reflected on everything that had happened. "I’ve missed you all," she said to Svetlana and Dmitry, "and now I’m not going anywhere. I promise."

The family embraced her, and Lena finally felt like she belonged.