"What do you know about me?" I asked, adjusting my clothes as I rose.
Her eyes ignited when she heard what I said. She turned her head away from me, walking off in that direction. She paused briefly, as if recollecting some distant memories.
"Hmm…" She suddenly faced me and flashed a grin.
"Everything. Enough to tell you that everything you know, or think you know, is false."
I raised my eyebrows. Seeing how interested I was, she continued.
"Don't act foolish. You yourself know. Look deep into your mind and try to recall those past memories, and you will notice something different in each of them," she added.
I tried recalling some of my past memories, and I indeed noticed that some things were different. A look of realization appeared on my face as I looked at the lady.
"You seem to have noticed it," she smiled.
"Whatever. If you think I would trust you, that's a pipe dream. Don't think I don't know your secret, lady. You were the man I spoke to outside the palace. Just who are you, lady?"
For the first time, I saw a genuine reaction from her. A cold, chilling, and petrifying aura surged up. Every fibre of my body immediately tensed as a cold blue light gazed at me.
"Your low-level existence is not worthy enough to know my name," she paused, then flashed a smile like nothing had ever happened. "And as for your trust, I care less about it. And how you saw through my disguise... That's all, Peter Schlaw. Until we meet again," she vanished into thin air.
I stood there confused, my mind racing, processing and digesting the information she had dropped. Amid all the thoughts, there were some things I couldn't figure out.
"What is her purpose? Why did she help me earlier? Why did she disguise herself as him and as Emily? And what does she have to do with my memories?"
All those questions were put on pause as something happened. The ground on which I was standing suddenly vanished, pulling me into a free-fall.
"What the hell?" I screamed as gravity pulled me into the black abyss.
No matter how much I screamed, no one answered. The noise was muffled by the void. I was sucked into it. After several minutes of descending, a bright light flashed at the bottom, creating an abnormal contrast in this lightless world, as gravity pulled me into the light.
A voice spoke to me, faint at first, but it became audible with time.
"Brother, why are you spacing out suddenly?" A girl, probably in her teens, with blonde hair and green eyes spoke. She had a cheerful expression and a playful aura surrounding her.
I paused, scanning my surroundings. Blue paint covered the whole area, making it feel cozy. The television was on as various voices spoke in the background. And finally, two people were sitting on two different sofas, both staring at me attentively.
"Brother?" she called again, this time with a hint of worry in her tone.
That brought me out of my thoughts. I looked at her and smiled as if it were natural.
"Don't worry, Dorothy. Nothing is wrong with your big brother."
That suddenly came out of my mouth as if it were natural. A look of shock appeared on my face as I held my head. A mighty pain dawned on me and I screamed, subconsciously trying to understand what was happening to me. Different, foreign memories began to appear. Memories of this body. Memories began to converge, shaping me into something different, something eerie.
I looked toward the both of them, who had completely terrified faces, and smiled more naturally than I ever had.
"You don't need to worry, Mother, Dorothy. I am fine."
That smile seemed to calm them down.
"But son, make sure you go to Dr. Benson if the pain still persists," Mom said, her voice still trembling from the shock.
"Really, I'm alright," I said. "I have to go to work, Mom."
"But big brother, you said you had no work today," Dorothy's worried voice echoed.
I paused and made up the most realistic lie I could.
"I got a call earlier from my boss that he needs me at work."
Immediately after I said that, I got off the sofa and opened the door.
"Be careful, big brother."
That was the last thing I heard before I closed the door and headed outside.
---
He moved away from the house, pausing briefly to observe the surrounding area.
The house was surrounded by partially collapsed buildings on both sides. Some had leaking roofs, several had cracked or collapsed walls. But despite that, people still lived in them.
He paused for a second and glanced at the house he had just come out of. Faded paint, damaged windows, badly damaged walls. All in all, it was a surprise the building was still standing.
He pursed his lips and walked forward. A frown silently formed on his face.
"I will make sure I kill those who made us live like this."
Those words lingered in the air as he made his way toward the city.
---
Peter walked into a cafe wearing black shades.
"What would you like to order?" A young lady in her twenties with ginger hair flashed a smile at Peter.
Silence. No answer came. Peter stared out the window at a family consisting of a father, mother, a boy and a girl. Both the father and mother held their children with big, giggly smiles on their faces, while the children played with each other.
He felt an emotion he didn't know how to describe. It felt like pity, jealousy, envy, and a hint of joy.
"Sir, sir!" The waitress called out again.
It was only then that Peter reacted. He picked up the menu and ordered number 2. A double espresso with a hint of chocolate in it.
"That's what I want," he said briefly.
The waitress stared at him for a while longer before leaving.
_Ding._
The bell at the cafe rang as someone came in, walking toward Peter's table. The person took a seat.
Peter stared at him, studying him silently, trying to pierce through his mask.
"Welcome," he said indifferently.
The person smiled, only for a second, before it faded. He stared out the window as he continued to talk.
"I've got the thing you need, but are you sure you want to use it?"
Peter sat there with a vicious grin on his face.
"Am I sure? Does the fucking person who killed my father care about whether he was sure or not? Hell no. I won't stop until I get my revenge, even if it kills me."