CHAPTER 4—SISTER AND BROTHER
When I'm finally sitting up, supported by pillows, the door opens again.
Two small heads peek inside.
A girl and a little boy.
The girl steps in first. She looks my age—twelve or thirteen. She has black hair pulled into a messy ponytail and bright green eyes that freeze when they meet mine. She stops, breath hitching.
We stare at each other.
Not identical, but similar. The same hair color. The same subtle expression. Twin siblings.
She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. She takes a shaky breath and tries again.
"You're… real."
Her voice quivers. Her fists clench at her sides, knuckles turning white.
"I used to tell everyone you were alive. That you'd come home." She swallows hard. "They told me I was being stupid. That I needed to accept reality." She looks down. "But I didn't. I knew you were still here. Somewhere."
My throat tightens painfully. I don't know how to respond. I don't know how to be a brother.
She steps closer, hesitant but determined.
"Can I… sit next to you?"
I nod.
She sits on the edge of the bed, folding her knees up slightly—awkward, nervous, hopeful.
"I'm Arin," she says quietly. "Your twin sister."
Arin.
It fits her.
The boy behind her peeks out timidly. He's small—maybe six—with brown hair and wide green eyes identical to their mother's. He hides behind Arin's sleeve like a frightened kitten.
I lower my gaze so he isn't scared.
Arin nudges him gently. "It's okay, Ren. He's our brother."
Ren takes a tiny step forward. Then another. His eyes dart between me and Arin, searching for reassurance.
"H-Hi… big brother," he whispers, voice trembling.
Something inside me cracks—soft and painful and warm.
"…Hi," I manage. My voice is rough, but he smiles anyway.
He hesitates, then steps closer and holds out a small object. A toy car—old, scratched, clearly loved.
"I… want you to have this," he mumbles. "Because… you must be scared."
Arin lets out a shaky laugh, covering her mouth. Tears slip from the corners of her eyes.
I take the toy with careful fingers, as if it's something fragile and precious.
"Thank you," I whisper.
Ren beams, cheeks flushing, then hides behind Arin again.
Arin wipes her eyes and looks at me with a soft, trembling smile.
"We're… really together again," she says. "All of us."
I look at the toy in my hand. At the two children in front of me. At the warm room, the machines, the light, and the feeling growing in my chest.
For the first time in this second life…
I don't feel abandoned. I don't feel lost. I don't feel like a mistake.
I feel like I might have a place to belong.