The Nameless Protagonist

The sterile smell of the hospital still clung to you as you stepped outside, clutching the box of your meager belongings. Sixteen months in a coma, and you woke up a blank slate. No name, no family, no past. Just the echo of a mother's smile and a father's distant gaze.

Nurse Julie's flirtatious farewell was a brief distraction before the weight of your anonymity settled in. The city stretched before you, a maze of unfamiliar streets. Your pocket held a few coins, a stark reminder of your new reality. Finding a job was the immediate hurdle, a seemingly impossible task for a man who didn't even know his own name. The only constant was the gnawing hunger to discover who you were.

The city was loud, a symphony of traffic and distant sirens. You wandered, searching for a 'Vacancy' sign, your hopes dwindling with each passing block. Then, a child's shrill scream cut through the noise, pulling you into a chaotic scene in a nearby park. A masked man, clearly an amateur, was trying to abduct a boy. Instinct took over, a surge of adrenaline and unexpected skill. You reacted without thinking, disarming the kidnapper with a move that surprised even yourself. The boy was safe, and his grateful father, a wealthy businessman, extended a hand, introducing himself. He called you 'John.' It was the first name you'd been given, a starting point in the vast unknown.