"You would never guess that I—"
"Say it quickly."
"Stockson suddenly showed up at Westin's workplace"
"Wait, what?"
"We took a surveillance tape from the store at their request after the theft was reported. A quick look through and saw this. It looked like some kind of confrontation."
"sound?"
"From the surveillance video of a cheap convenience store?"
"Okay, great. But, with that in mind, and the fact that Carl is basically on the run, I think we have enough evidence to capture him."
"So next time I see him-"
"We are authorized to detain him. Use force if necessary."
It's past midnight and Jane hasn't come home yet.
I can't sit still. I paced the room anxiously. I had no idea where Carl would be or where to start looking for them. I called Sarah's house, but no one answered. At least Mom wasn't home yet, so I didn't have to explain yet, but no matter how tired I was, it was impossible to think about sleeping.
The real world is always humming. I noticed it as soon as I got back, but now it seems more depressing. Whether it's the constant gurgling of the refrigerator or the barely audible crackle of electricity coming from every direction, I feel surrounded by pent-up energy. It's like the world is ready at any moment, a rubber band stretched so tight that it's on the verge of releasing at any moment. In my opinion, this kind of release can only lead to disaster.
Shortly after Carl left the store, my clerk showed up and I got home safe and sound. Of course, with nothing as mundane as work to keep me occupied, I fell back into deep thought, revisiting every detail of our conversation before it faded from my memory.
Carl is crazy and desperate; that much is obvious. He has crossed a line. He was going to do something, I had no doubt. I have to stop him, but what can I do?
This question has been bothering me all night.
He mentioned a name. Daniel Whitman. I have to figure out who that is.
I went upstairs to my computer and started it. It buzzed, adding another layer of sound to my ears. Carl built this computer for me; in fact, every piece of clothing is an old piece of clothing from his own machine. We could never afford such a good computer. Now, I had to use his talent to stop him. I understand the irony.
It didn't take long to find a man named Daniel Whitman nearby. I may not be as good at computers and the Internet as Carl, but it's really not that difficult to search for a person's name and location. Even so, Whitman doesn’t have much public information. I know he was a real person who lived locally, but I can't find any other information.
But Carl was fascinated by him. Either he has more clues than I do, or he's more desperate than I thought.
Or both.
Should I call the police? In reality, Whitman probably wasn't in any immediate danger. Who should I call? I don't think 911 is appropriate. This may not be urgent. Maybe the police had some kind of non-emergency hotline that could keep Carl in check and get him home safely.
The two detectives standing at our door felt like this had happened weeks ago, even though it was only yesterday. The police made me uncomfortable, although I didn't know why. As if I had nothing to hide, or that I had done something wrong—at least in this world. Yet every time I see a police car on the road, or a uniformed police officer on the street, I instinctively adopt the least threatening, most innocent posture. I had never had one interaction with them until yesterday.
If I call them, am I throwing Carl to the wolves?
Or did I do the right thing and put a potentially dangerous man in the spotlight and let the authorities deal with it?
What if I do nothing?
The last option seems ridiculous. I laughed out loud when it popped into my head. There is nothing I can do. This is the cause of this chaos. I started weighing my original options again, but the thought kept lurking in the background, like a patient hunting cat. I kept pacing, my heart weighed down by the pressure that lingered at the forefront again and again.
There is nothing I can do.
This goes against my instincts, but the idea is very appealing. Why am I responsible for Carl's actions? He is to blame, not me. I didn't ask for any of this, and now that I've finally escaped, I'm still paying for the actions I took under completely different circumstances. It wouldn't be entirely unreasonable for me to let the whole thing go and let Carl decide his own fate without my involvement.
I tripped on the sixth or seventh time walking down the stairs. I grabbed the railing in sudden panic. Doubt came back to me. I'm not that cold, right? It scares me to even think about it. Carl is my friend—or, he was. I can't abandon him. If I were serious about going back to Sierraville, I'd have to at least consider taking Carl with me.
I accomplished nothing. I've been through this before. I had felt so convinced after our chance encounter in the store, but now I had my doubts.
Let Jane invade my thoughts once again and drive everything away.
As soon as I got to the bottom of the stairs the door opened and there she was. My sister came in holding Sara's hand, carrying her bag and vibrator.
"It's a little late," I said, falling back into my role and escaping my own confusion. But I immediately regretted my flippant tone, because Jane shot me a hard look.
What went wrong. Sarah's face was a mess and she refused to make eye contact with me. Jane looked excited. She was breathing rapidly and her eyes were darting around as if checking the room for threats.
I stood motionless, waiting for her to take the first step.
"Is mom here?" Jane asked. I shook my head. "Good. Sarah, come on. Let me help you over to the couch, okay?" She turned to Sarah, her voice softening. They walked into the living room. "Matt, can you make me something? Hot chocolate?"
"Of course." I gratefully retreated to the kitchen and Jen grabbed a blanket. She wrapped it around Sarah's shoulders and stood close to her, still acting like a guardian to her friend.
I don't know what's going on, but I can tell you it's going to be a longer night than I thought.
＊＊＊
I spend too much time making hot chocolate. I could hear them whispering in the next room, and as much as I wanted to barge in, I didn't feel wise. I'm not quite sure where Sarah and I stand in this situation. Yeah, I liked her and we dated once, but that was nothing compared to now. Even before we left, I rarely hung out with her, and since we came back it was all about Jane and Sellaville, or Carl and my own fears. Maybe one day I'll be there for her like Jane, but definitely not tonight.
"What took you so long, Matt?" Jane.
So maybe I made a mistake. I quickly picked up three cups, brought them in, and placed them on the coffee table. Sarah and Jen were sitting together on our little couch, so I sat in the chair opposite and tried to relax. Sarah's eyes were downcast and her face was pale, but no one seemed to be in immediate danger. She took a grateful sip of her drink, and Jen and I looked at each other meaningfully.
I had no idea what Jane was trying to whisper to me. I don't know if other siblings could do something like this, but Jen and I certainly couldn't. Especially lately.
"Are you okay?" I asked. Before Jane could answer, her mouth was open and her eyes were squinting, and I raised my hand. "Sorry, that's a stupid question. What can I do?"
Jane shook her head. "Not yet. But Sarah might spend the night here."
I nodded. I immediately thought of giving her my bed, but luckily I realized before I brought it up that this could be misinterpreted. Regardless, Jen saved me by dispelling my thoughts with her next words.
"But more importantly, Matt. I found - well, a rock in the forest."
I raised my eyebrows. "Stone?"
"Let me finish. It says Etoli
e. It showed me how we can go back in time. "
Like a stone passing through a window pane. My mind seemed to be falling apart, twisting in painful, confusing twists. Even as I debated whether or not to tell her, Jen found out anyway. I didn't know whether to be happy or worried about what happened next.
"But there's a trap here."
"Grasp?"
"Only three people."
I wished desperately that Sarah wasn't in the room. At the same time, I realized why Jane was bringing up this topic in front of both of us. "You want the three of us," I said slowly.
"Well, I don't know," she continued, and my brain skipped another beat. "I thought, maybe you don't want to come back. Maybe you'd be happier here."
"So it's just you two?"
Jane looked confused. "No, it has to be 3. I mean us and Carl."
"Right. Of course." I actually didn't know this rule. I just know where to go if I need to go back. Obviously, I can't get very far without Jane.
She looked suspicious, but didn't raise it. Instead, when she raised her hands to her face and pushed her hair away from her eyes, I saw red. The all too familiar red.
I stumbled forward, reaching for her arm. "Jen, what happened?"
"La se masadalv." Jane avoided my hand. "Nothing."
"This is blood."
"Well, yes, it's blood. I don't want to mention it."
"What happened?"
"Can we please stop talking about this now?" Something in her voice, the weight of emotion beneath the surface, made me flinch. I forced myself to relax in my seat and waited patiently. I'm eager to know what happened, but since neither of them seems hurt, I doubt I'll be able to forget Jean anytime soon.
I crossed my arms and looked her in the eyes. "Do I need to know anything?" I asked as calmly as I could.
"No, you really don't know," she snapped.
"All right."
It had the desired effect. Jane visibly calmed down a bit. I noticed that her right hand, the one I had not noticed, was clasping Sara's hand tightly. Sarah was still looking at the floor, and I didn't know how she was feeling.
"Sarah," I said, and her head jerked upward. Even though I could tell she had just cried, her face was like stone and there was absolutely nothing I could read about it.
"Hi, Matt," she said, for the first time all night. "I'm sorry, I got hit." It's that faintly cheery tone of true desperation, when you're so depressed you have to treat everything as a bad joke so you don't drag everyone else with you Get into the water.
"You are always welcome here."
"Thanks...but I guess we may never see it again?"
"Do you really want to cross the river?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes." She said so fiercely that I was startled.
"……Why?"
"Because it has to be better there than here," she said simply. She sounded so sure. All doubts in my mind were gone. She was going to leave, no matter what I said. I couldn't convince her otherwise, and I wasn't sure I really wanted to.
"Is this an interrogation?" Jane interjected. "We're all adults. Well, not Sarah, but she's close enough."
"I'm older than you," she pointed out.
Jane shook her head. "You're not, but the point is, she can make her own decisions."
"But what about Carl?" I asked.
Je
Shaky. She lowered her eyes. "……Yes."
The silence lasted for several minutes. During that time, I finally made the decision to commit. I feel like it's like a lever in my head, a giant switch that flips my entire life off course - I'm going to continue to live in this house, with my mother, and the real world that I've never paid much attention to ——Pull back to another track. I live a real life, with real purpose and meaning, with responsibilities I can't let go of, and people who truly depend on me. I was scared, scared to death, but I knew I had to go back.
Not only that, my sister also had to go back. If she was going to return to the world where she was found, this huntress of the woods who bridged different races, I should go with her. I promised my mother and myself that I would protect her. Well, when I made that commitment, I never imagined how far it would take me, but that doesn’t matter. I will keep this promise from the day I make it until the last moment of my life.
Jane didn't need my protection, however, and a nagging suspicion filled my mind. Look at her. She is much more capable than you. If she goes back, she has magic, she has elven powers, and a whole bunch of other stuff with her. Why did you follow her there?
Because I promised, I answered myself and dispelled my doubts. Because even if she doesn't need my protection, even if she probably protects me much better than I protect her, she's still my sister, and I'm afraid of living in a world without her.
It's there. I'm scared. I raised her when my mother couldn't, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Even if I could guarantee that she was safe on the other side, that wouldn't be enough. During my six years at Sierraville, I never stopped looking for her. No matter what I did, through all the battles, wars, politics, and adventures, my goal was always to find Jean. Make sure she is safe and happy. We are a team, always have been. I have no intention of giving up.
"We'll go back. The three of us."
Jane's eyes widened. I saw the flash of joy on her face and knew I had made the right decision. Even so, it was quickly replaced by more doubt and concern. I know what's coming next. "But, Carl-"
"I know. If I go, he can't go."
Jane shook her head in frustration. "Why does it have to be three?"
"Hey, you're the most amazing one here."
"Oh," she said. This kind of thing is far beyond what I have learned. "
"But you know enough about it to do this, right?" I asked.
"Yeah, I think it must be because the three of us are back. Things are equal, and sometimes that matters. But other times, it doesn't mean anything. I don't know."
"It's magic. It never makes sense," Sara said quietly.
"As the one who actually has to lead us across dimensions," Jean complained, "I sure hope it does."
"What else do we know?" I asked.
"Yeah," Jane said, rubbing her hands together. "I can't promise that when we get there, we'll end up in the same place. But I think at least we'll be together this time. As long as we're still in contact."
"Well, then I'm relieved."
"No kidding." Jane smiled.
Sarah shifted uncomfortably beside her. Jane glanced at it and frowned. "Second thoughts?"
"No," she said firmly. "I needed to do it. But I felt like I was taking away Carl's opportunity."
"You deserve it," Jane said. "More than the rest of us."
"The person you said this will definitely be able to get in."
"I want you to be with me," she retorted.
"I think you're avoiding the question." My heart sank. Sarah is right, although I don't want to go back and bring it up. "Carl really messed up, I guess it has something to do with Blake, right?"
I nodded. Blake was his best friend. We... lost him. "
Jane's face fell. "We can't just abandon Carl like this."
I cleared my throat. This is the moment. Everything is at stake now. I have to do it. "I think he'll understand."
"Um?"
I took a deep breath. This reluctance and timing are crucial. They have to believe me. "Carl is smart. We all know that. He will understand why you want to go back. As for me, he may not agree with my position or the side I fight for, but he knows how important it is. He knows I have a lot of things to do. Besides, I'm not going anywhere. I have nothing. I'm just a nobody. Carl said it himself, I'm a better fit for Sierraville."
"Okay, so we're fine. And so is he," Jen interjected. "The whole city adores him, Matt. Don't know what you're going to do."
"It was," I said, nodding for emphasis. "Carl was devastated by that world. You saw it yourself. He was different when he came back, not the same at all. Whenever Seraville showed up, he was completely devastated. His two closest friends They all died there, and he blamed himself for it. He couldn't help them. Serraville was too scary for him."
"So you think he'd be better off here?"
"I did it."
Jane still looked skeptical. "Shouldn't we discuss this with Carl?"
"Think of what that would do to him," I continued, still improvising as fast as I could. I don't know if Jane really believes me, but I have to give her enough for her to accept. "Now, Carl is just getting over Blake's death and accepting that he can't come back. He's moving forward and getting back to his old self, everything. He's smart, he has a family that can support him, and Other friends. He will definitely be successful in life here and the skills he learned there will be applicable here. Carl will recover."
"And you?"
"I don't belong here anymore." I sighed. It's true, although I still regret it. "My mom has pretty much kicked me out, even though I don't know what to do with my life. I've been at Sierraville my whole life. Everything here feels like an afterthought. If I went back, I could Keep going. I left everyone behind and now I have a second chance. I don't want it to slip away."
Jane studied my face, and finally, she nodded slowly. "……All right."
I did not say anything. I feel like I've done my best. Either I convinced Jen or I didn't. The rest is all up to her.
At least Sarah seemed convinced. I'm not sure if it's because she actually believes me, or if she just wants to avoid conflict and get out of here. If it's the latter, I wouldn't blame her. I decided to change the subject before Jen could struggle with her decision for too long.
"You don't have to tell me what happened tonight—" I said, returning to my old voice. The leader's voice, companions, our foursome. It felt so natural, which only made me believe it more. I made the right decision. "But I do need to know if this is going to get people's attention."
Sarah looked uneasy. "Maybe." She glanced at Jane. My sister stared straight ahead, not flinching.
"Okay," I said. "Then we might want to leave as soon as possible. Does it matter when?" I reminded Jane. She shook her head. "Can we bring anything?" He shook his head again. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. The last time we crossed we had only our clothes and nothing else. Flashlights, phones, factories—all gone.
"What about mom?" Jane asked, glancing at the front door.
"She should be home in a few hours. We'll meet her then."
＊＊＊
We spent the next few minutes figuring out the logistics—when to leave, what to bring, what to wear, etc.—until Sarah finally managed to stifle a yawn. Jane hurried her upstairs and I stayed to collect the cups. I was rinsing off at the sink when Jane suddenly appeared next to me. I was startled.
"You know, it's unnerving that you're so quiet."
"Are you jealous?" she asked, picking up a plate from the pile and starting to scrub it clean.
"Maybe."
"If you'd be nice, maybe I could teach you a few tricks."
"That might come in handy." I set the cup aside to dry and joined her in washing the rest of the dishes. We fucked in silence for a few minutes, Jane doing the laundry and me rinsing and drying them one by one. This is good. Simple, good work, let's do something together again.
"What are you going to do when we get there?" I asked.
Je
Grinning. "Find Naef and introduce her to Sa
a and have a great party"
"Don't burn the forest."
"What about you?" she asked, nudging me gently with her elbow.
"I don't know yet," I answered honestly.
"I heard you agreed. What's her name?" K
istvi
a?"
I snorted. "Jen, I couldn't bear to be in the same room with her for more than ten seconds. She was horrible. It was all politics."
"But you are the most gossipy person in town!" Jane smiled. "Everyone was shocked that this great and powerful rebel leader could see through the princess's inner beauty!"
I put the next plate aside, trying not to laugh. "Believe me, there's nothing beautiful about her inside either. She's an idiot."
Je
He frowned. "Well, that's not good."
"Well, by idiots, I mean the most despicable, backstabbing aristocrat, but also completely incompetent in this area."
"Okay, that sounds good."
"All she had was an important last name. Nothing else."
"It works, though," Jane said thoughtfully.
I stopped and thought about it. Jane was not wrong. "You know, you're right. Honestly, she'd probably be a lot better off if she wasn't forced to marry me. She hates the idea. Maybe that's why she keeps trying to sabotage it."
"Keldaput, did you really take my advice this time?" Jane said, pretending to be surprised.
"Congratulations."
After a few more minutes of silence, we continued cleaning the kitchen. It wasn't awkward though; if anything, it was comfortable and peaceful. We made a tacit agreement that we would make the house nice before we left. Leave it better than we found it, like our mom always taught us.
As Jen put away a stack of dishes, her shirt lifted up just enough for me to see the knife stuck in her lower back. My mind jumped back to the blood on her hands when she brought Sara in - the blood on her knife hand.
"…Jen, what happened tonight?"
"We had a brother-sister bonding moment," she replied, still setting the plates on tiptoe. "Don't worry. I don't take it too seriously."
I leaned against the refrigerator and watched her closely. "Who did you stab?"
Jane whipped around, nearly knocking the entire pile over. "I--"
"You said I didn't need to know, but I'm worried about you. You two. Please."
She straightened the plate again and dried her hands with a towel. She didn't say anything for a full minute, and I waited patiently, trying to get my words out.
"Her father."
I'm not sure what answer I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. "What?"
She narrowed her eyes and her voice became very quiet. "He was hurting her. Hurt them both. I stopped him."
"you--"
"He's going to be fine," she said quietly. My panic faded, but between her tone and the images in my mind, I was still anxious. "Sarah can't stay there, and after what I did..." Jane said in a low voice. She took a moment to compose herself before continuing. "I thought I could do something for her, you know?" That's something no one else could do. I could give her a real way out. She can live with me and my daughter, or whatever life she wants. This is a new beginning. "
"Have you told her what Sillavel is like?" I pointed out. "Living there is no easier than living here."
"More difficult, yes, but it's worth it. Or it will be. I definitely will," Jane said fiercely. "She doesn't have to be afraid anymore."
I smiled. "All right."
"What about you two?" Jane asked, winking at me. She tried to change the subject as quickly as possible, and I wholeheartedly welcomed the sudden change in tone. "Will you still date her when we get home?"
I shrugged. "Maybe when the dust settles and I figure out where we stand. There's a lot to do in the next few weeks for me and a lot of adjusting for her. I don't know."
"Careful," Jane said. "Wait too long and she might fall in love with some handsome playboy. Some of them are sexy. I've been tempted, many times."
"I don't need to hear this." I started clearing the dishes again.
Je
Snickered. "We have magic here. You have to work extra hard to make her happy," she joked.
"Uh-huh. Why don't you go see how she's doing? I guess I can take care of the rest here."
"It's not fun at all." She said, rolling her eyes. As soon as I turned around, she disappeared from the room, still without a sound. I knew the stairs in our house were squeaky, but I didn't even know when she was upstairs, which surprised me.
I was probably just kidding her, but there was another reason why I asked my sister to leave the room. There are things I have to do, things I'm afraid of, but I know I can't avoid. She just told me that story. Every scary future that crossed my mind had to be avoided.
Carl cannot be allowed to roam freely without intervention. Someone had to sound the alarm and get his attention. At the rate he was going, someone was bound to get hurt. I can't imagine what Carl would do if he was really crazy. His parents, his friends, or Daniel Whitman he talked to.
It won't end well. Unless I do something. I have to tell people what happened. Make sure he gets some kind of help. My first thought was of his parents, but I quickly dismissed that idea. Carl was already avoiding them; they could no longer be of any help.
I could try contacting his other friends, but I feel like I would have the same problem. Carl is still trying to get back to Sierraville and feels he must hide from the police and his family. He doesn't trust any of his friends. If he could do it, he would be entirely on his own. They might at least be able to send him a message, but that wouldn't be enough. I needed something more direct.
A business card flashed into my memory.
I took it out of my pocket. I stuffed it into my wallet. Detective Clark West, with the lead and his personal cell phone number. I lazily turned it over in my hand, thinking. consider.
Is this right? In this case, it seems like the best option for him. They will find him and capture him. They would bring him home safely. If the police were involved, and they contacted his parents, plus any warning I could think of, maybe it would all work out. Carl would receive counseling, they would declare him sane, and he would return to society. I doubt he can actually get Serraville back, but he'll be back to normal.
He could never explain our sudden disappearance, but there was nothing I could do. I can only hope that he realizes what we have done and finally chooses to live a normal life and no other path is opened to him.
Am I betraying him, like he betrayed Rainier? If I am, what's wrong with me? Do I want him to stay because I don't trust him, or because it's the easy way out?
I turned over the card over and over. I have so many doubts. Maybe my first impression, my gut feeling was right. If Carl never heard from us again, if we suddenly disappeared, it would be an attempt to interfere with his life. Maybe it's better because he won't be spotted by the police anymore. He could really return to a normal life.
I don't have an answer. Everyone thinks I can come up with them, but most of the time I wing it. I was always hanging on by a thread. I can only gather so much information and only have so much time to plan things out. I could feel the sand in the hourglass falling one by one, and I knew I had to make a choice.
I turned the card over with my fingers and looked at the stars outside the window for a long time. It was a quiet night. Maybe it's the calm before the storm? Or just the peace after a long war? Maybe it's all mental because I've had enough. I could throw the card aside and let Carl be himself.
I sat down and covered my face with my hands. I didn’t want this choice to have no right answer, but I knew I would be forced to make the same choice many times over the coming weeks and months. I had to make a decision, no matter what. Even if I choose to be idle, it’s still a commitment. This is still faith.
In that moment, with the weight of two worlds on my shoulders, I finally stood up. I know what I need to do. I can't keep things the way they are, that's not who I am. I made my choice and I will always live with the consequences.
