even have to see me that often.”
I had looked at him then, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
He didn’t know.
The man I loved in the real world… was also him.
18
In a complete reversal of the book’s world, the Aidan of my reality had grown up in a happy, healthy family.
He was gentle, calm, like a soft morning breeze carrying the scent of dew.
He died on the way to our wedding.
In the wedding car, I watched through the window, through the festive red decorations, as the oil tanker hurtled toward us.
The next second, Aidan’s face filled my vision.
He shielded me with his body, his long lashes sweeping down, gently covering my eyes.
“My sweet girl,” he whispered. “Just take a nap. Everything will be okay. You’ll be fine.”
Flames raged around us. He was in so much pain his eyes twitched, but he calmly patted my back, his voice steady and clear.
Just like it was ten years ago, when he knelt down in front of me at the orphanage gate and smiled. “You’re so sweet. What’s your
name?”
Until I was seven, I was a child no one wanted. My biological father was a criminal, and I was the unwanted fruit of his crime. No one had looked forward to my birth; I was sent to the orphanage the day I was born. The teachers there believed I had inherited my father’s genes. No matter how good I was, how hard I tried, I never received an ounce of their affection.
Every couple that came to adopt would initially be drawn to me. They would look at all the children and then stop, stroking my face
with a kind hand.
But that affection was always fleeting.
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The moment they learned of my parentage, their faces would change, and they would back away as if I were poison.
Only Aidan was different.
He convinced his parents to adopt me. From beginning to end, he chose me, his belief unwavering. “I trust my instincts. She’s such
a good kid. Why shouldn’t she be loved?”
19
Ardan was my brother for six years.
He played the role of an older brother perfectly, patiently teaching me right from wrong. At the same time, he spoiled me rotten.
Within the bounds of our sibling relationship, I had unlimited power over him. I could make him tie my shoes, I could roll around on
his bed, and on stormy nights, I could clutch my pillow and knock on his door.
He even let me get away with kissing him secretly when he pretended to be asleep.
We both knew what was hidden beneath the surface of our brother–sister relationship.
When I was eighteen, his family went bankrupt. His parents planned to flee with what money they had left. I, the adopted daughter
with whom they had a weak emotional connection, was clearly not part of their plan.
But Aidan stayed behind for me.
He patted my head, pretending to be relaxed. “It’s okay, Lina. Big brother will never leave you.”
I loved to draw. I had won many awards since I was a child. But art was an expensive path. To allow me to pursue my passion with-
out any worries, Aidan dropped out of college and started working on construction sites, doing whatever he could to make money.
He transformed from a bright, promising young man into an adult with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
His days were exhausting. He would wake up before dawn, sit by my bed for a few moments, and then leave for the day, only to
return late at night. Sometimes, he’d come home, bone–tired, only to find me in the throes of a nightmare. He wouldn’t even change
his clothes, just sit and soothe me until morning.
I offered to quit school and get a job to help share the burden.
That was the first time Aidan ever got angry with me.
His face was grim as he asked me to think again about whether I really wanted to give up on myself.
The moment he turned to leave, I burst into tears and threw my arms around him.
His body went rigid.
The next second, I cupped his face and stood on my toes to kiss him.
He stumbled back a few steps, caught off guard. But he caught the impulsive, forbidden kiss and returned it with a muffled groan.
“I love you,” he sighed, his voice low. “So lifting you up is my mission. Seeing you happy… that makes me happy.”
Years later, in a parallel world, I found myself in a similar situation with another version of him.
“You just need to focus on your exams, okay? Why are you taking on tutoring jobs? I don’t need you to make money for me.”
I looked at the dejected boy before me, his eyes downcast.
I smiled and hugged him. “I love you, Aidan. So lifting you up is my mission…” My voice broke halfway through. “Seeing you happy…
that makes me happy.”
20
Chapter 2
20
20 44
Three months after Aidan was declared brain–dead, I woke up from another nightmare.
Aidan was never coming back.
I frantically searched for the sleeping pills he had hidden before he died and poured a handful into my palm.
It was the System that stopped my desperate act. “Do you know why you survived the car crash?”
“Because Aidan traded his soul to us. He traded it for your life.”
I froze, the bottle of pills slipping from my grasp and clattering to the floor.
“His soul, stripped of all its memories, was placed into a character in one of our books,” the System explained. “This character has
a tragic backstory and needs to be redeemed. We’ve sent many Taskers, but none have succeeded. Do you want to try?”
