The Canadian winter casts its icy spell outside, painting the world in a soft, white glow as snowflakes dance past the window, draping everything in a serene blanket of white. Inside our cozy room, the warm glow of a bedside lamp bathes the space in a gentle light. Anna nestles beside me on our comfortable bed, her eyes wide with anticipation as I hold the storybook in my hands.
Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel—despite being old, these are all among Anna's favorites. Like any other kid, she laughs during the whimsical moments and cries during the poignant scenes.
As the stories end, Anna yawns, her eyes half shut. Slowly, and gracefully, she surrenders to sleepiness, her head finding solace on my shoulder. And in that moment, the room becomes a sacred space. Her gentle breaths, rhythmic and soothing, whisper through the air. It makes my heart swell. These serene moments, wrapped in the quiet embrace of the night, are the happiest I have ever known.
"Jack, can we stay like this... just a little longer?" Anna's voice, soft and drowsy, shatters the tranquility of the moment.
My heart clenches with agony, my hands quivering. Though I pride myself on my mental strength, I struggle to contain the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.
"Anna, I… I have to go. I have to find you," I reply to her, and it is so hard holding back tears.
A true big brother never forsakes his sister…
Mental status resists.
Ah… so fucking cruel, whoever the heck is planning this fake dream inside my mind.
My resolve wavers against the relentless onslaught of emotions. This illusion is so real that I want to stay. The temptation to surrender to its comforting embrace gnaws at my soul, tearing through me like a jagged blade.
Yet, I can't...
Because deep down, I know the truth: My Anna, the real Anna, is still missing. This fleeting moment of peace is nothing more than a mirage, a cruel trick of the mind, and every second spent here is just another second wasted.
"Don't go… please. Just a little longer. Stay with me," Anna pleads, her voice trembling with fear and desperation as she clings to me, her fragile hand clutching at my shirt. Tears roll down her cheeks as she sobs.
And I do too. I feel her tears mingle with my own as sorrow consumes us both.
"I'm sorry, Anna… I'm sorry… " I whisper through choked breaths.
"Please, don't leave me here alone…"
And each of her words pierces through me like shards of glass.
But as much as it pains me, I have to leave. I have to fight for her.
"I love you, Anna. More than anything in this world," I murmur, my fingers gently caressing her hair as I make my solemn vow. "I will find you. I promise."
And then, with one last tearful glance, I tear myself away from her, stepping back into the harsh light of reality. The warmth of our illusion fades, leaving behind only the bitter chill of truth.
"Then… once you find her, can you promise to never let her go again?"
"Of course," I reply. "And thank you, whoever you are. But if you do this again, I will fucking murder you, and feed your remains to a hundred dogs…"
That imposter, although looking exactly like Anna, was not her after all. But even so, the illusion was so perfect that I was almost fooled. The pain that it inflicted was real.
"Wait… how do you know? And since when?"
"What are you talking about? I'm her big brother, so how could I not?"
But there is no point in asking about its true identity for now. If this entity wanted me to know, it would have revealed itself long ago.
And with that, I push the door open, stepping into the blinding light that swallows me whole.