No matter how much I tried to pester Xescilliz to answer my questions, she still refused to say anything apart from the unbelievable fact that I was currently in a parallel world. And in this world, Zeanne was my fiance and my stepsister's name was Rachelle.
So to get my answers, I did my best in recovering to get discharged as soon as possible.
Three weeks later, I was finally getting ready to leave the hospital. The doctors were awed by my recovery rate. They said it would usually take a couple of months for patients like me to get back up on my feet.
Even the fact that I even managed to wake up after being in a vegetative state for more than a year was nothing short of a miracle. That's why I became very popular in the hospital.
"Are you ready to go?"
I turned around after buttoning up my shirt. Zeanne was standing by the doorway, wearing a maroon suit that made her look pretty smart.
I nodded and picked up my bag. "Let's go."
Zeanne offered to drive and I did not object because if Xescilliz was telling the truth, it would mean that the home which I knew might not be my home here.
Ever since Zee(from MY world) started preparing for her wedding, I also started hating my empty bachelor's pad. I was envious of the fact that she's about to make her own family and have someone to go home to. I was happy to see her happy but I was jealous at the same time.
I wanted to have a family of my own too.
But that accident happened.
[And now you're stuck here.]
I stiffened. Just when I was starting to think that she's being quiet, she suddenly popped up.
'You've been awfully quiet the past few days.'
[Missed me?]
'I'm not that crazy to start missing my imaginary friend.'
[Don't worry. I will stop being imaginary soon enough. And I will prove to you that you're not crazy just because you're able to see and hear me.]
I didn't say anything else and emptied my thoughts.
"Arthur."
I turned to Zeanne and I could not bring a smile to my face because the thought that she's not the Zee that I knew crossed my mind. "Yes?"
"Should I bring you to your family's villa? I don't think that it would be wise for you to stay alone in your house."
Hearing that I have my own space, I didn't hesitate to answer. "No. I'll be fine alone. I prefer it that way."
"If you say so."
And the silence resumed in the vehicle. She didn't remove her eyes from the road and I took that chance to study her face.
'How can she not be the same person?'
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. If Xescilliz were telling the truth, and I was starting to believe that she was, then I didn't know what to feel about having this Zeanne as my fiance. I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh or cry at the situation.
"Arthur."
I still couldn't get used to her calling me that. "Yeah?"
She hesitated for a second. "That guy that you were talking about when you woke up. Craige."
My head snapped towards her. "What about him?"
Her grip on the wheel tightened. "I found him. He really is a celebrity."
"I see. So he's also a celebrity here." I answered listlessly. The thing is, I already saw Craige being interviewed on TV yesterday. And I could not believe that I was already accepting the absurd idea of me being in a completely different world.
What should I do with that piece of information now?
[Forget it. The train for them has already left.]
I frowned. 'What do you mean?'
[...]
I closed my eyes and buried my face in my hands in frustration. 'Tell me what you meant by those words.'
"Arthur? Are you okay?" Zeanne asked with a worried tone.
I did not answer her and concentrated on getting an answer from my imaginary friend. 'Xescilliz! What did you mean by that?!'
[... She was meant to meet that Craige guy while grieving over your death. They were supposed to fall in love with each other and heal each other's wounds. That was their fate.]
It took a while for me to register her words in my head. 'But I'm still alive.'
[Yes. You're alive.]
'So my existence became a hindrance to her happiness?' That idea made my chest tight.
[Why are you thinking that way? You can just make her happy yourself since you're here already.]
'I can't.' My answer came out automatically and it caught me by surprise.
[Why not? From what I've gathered while listening to your thoughts for the past weeks, you are in love with the other version of her, right?]
'That's exactly why I can't make her happy. The one that I'm in love with is not her. She's not my Zee.' I felt a burning sensation in my chest as I wrapped my head around the idea. 'And if you're telling the truth that I'm in a parallel world, then I have to go back to where I came from. I can't stay here.'
[Humans. You always find ways to complicate simple things.]
Her tone was derisive but I did not feel offended because I completely agree with her. 'We do tend to overcomplicate things.'
I raised my head and turned to look at the Zeanne beside me. She seemed to be deep in thought as well because she's wearing a scowl on her face.
[Then I guess, she'll grow old alone. What a pity.]
'Is there a way for her and Craige to be together?'
[Why? Are you planning to play cupid?]
I chuckled. 'If that's what it takes to put things back in order, then my answer is yes. I've been strictly taught to always clean up my own mess.'
[I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but like I told you, forget it.]
'Why?'
[Nothing good comes from trying to tamper with someone else's fate.]