Afternoon, 15 August 2020

The afternoon sun hung above the streets as Elizabeth walked beside Botas.

Their date had finally come to an end, and the two of them were slowly making their way back to Elizabeth's home.

For the first time in days, Elizabeth felt something close to normal.

The strange memories.

The confusion.

The questions surrounding her lost past.

For a moment, they all felt distant.

She held Botas' hand, swinging their arms slightly as they walked.

"Over the past five days, I've been remembering a lot about us," Elizabeth said.

Her expression was brighter than it had been in a while.

She looked almost like her old self again.

Botas smiled.

"Tell me."

Elizabeth looked at him.

"I remember our first date."

She paused, waiting for his reaction.

"We went to that cinema..."

She looked at him with a playful smile, expecting him to remember.

Botas noticed her expression.

A small blush appeared on his face.

"Yeah... continue."

Elizabeth giggled.

"You remember, right?"

She leaned closer.

"We watched an X-rated movie."

Both of them immediately started laughing.

"It was your doing," Botas said playfully.

Elizabeth laughed even harder.

For a moment, they were just two people enjoying an ordinary memory.

No fear.

No confusion.

No darkness.

Just happiness.

But neither of them noticed the shadow following behind them.

Far away from their laughter, a man was being dragged into a corridor.

Four gunshots echoed.

And the world continued moving as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile...

Inside his hideout, Chris was preparing.

The room was quiet.

His knives.

His chemicals.

Everything was carefully arranged.

He moved with purpose, gathering what he needed for whatever came next.

As he put on his signature black hoodie, he spoke quietly to himself.

"If you love someone for their looks..."

He paused.

"It's obsession."

He continued preparing.

"If it's for their kindness, it's admiration."

His expression remained calm.

"But if you're confused about whether you love them or not..."

A faint smile appeared.

"It's definitely love."

Chris looked down at what he had prepared.

"You care more with each passing day."

His voice became more certain.

"It grows like a parasite."

A pause.

"And when you can't imagine a future without them..."

He finished packing.

"That's when you know it's real love."

Chris closed the bag.

To him, his actions were not madness.

They were proof.

A twisted form of devotion.

He left the hideout.

At Elizabeth's Home

Chris arrived at Elizabeth's house.

The place was quiet.

He looked around.

No one was there.

"Is anyone here?!"

His voice echoed through the empty rooms.

No answer.

Chris slowly entered.

The familiar surroundings felt strangely peaceful compared to the thoughts inside his mind.

"I do this not to harm..."

He whispered.

"But to fix what's already broken."

He looked around.

"My actions may seem insane..."

A small smile formed.

"But those who understand will realize they're not."

Then—

Footsteps.

Chris stopped.

Someone was approaching.

For a moment, he wondered who it was.

But there was only one thing he hoped.

That it was the right person.

Chris listened carefully.

Footsteps.

Someone was approaching the front door.

He became completely still.

His grip tightened around the knife.

His heart raced.

Please... let it be the right person.

Without making a sound, he stepped beside the doorway, hiding just out of sight.

He waited.

The door opened.

Someone entered.

Chris didn't hesitate.

He lunged forward.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The knife struck before the person had a chance to react.

The room fell silent.

Chris stood there, breathing heavily.

For a few seconds, he simply stared.

Then the realization slowly settled over him.

His expression changed.

"...No."

His eyes widened.

He looked at the body lying before him.

It wasn't Elizabeth.

It was her mother.

Silence filled the house.

Chris remained frozen.

Then, almost as if trying to convince himself, he whispered,

"I..."

A strange smile appeared.

"I did it."

Another pause.

"I did a good job."

His voice sounded hollow.

He looked down one last time.

"I just killed Elizabeth's mother."

Later...

Elizabeth returned home.

Something felt wrong.

The house was unusually quiet.

She called out as she stepped inside.

No answer.

Her footsteps slowed.

Then she saw her.

Her mother.

Lying motionless.

Elizabeth froze.

For a moment, her mind refused to understand what she was looking at.

"No..."

Her voice barely escaped.

She rushed forward.

Her hands trembled as she reached out.

She wanted to believe there was still time.

That this wasn't real.

That she would wake up.

But reality remained silent.

The weight of what had happened crashed over her all at once.

The grief was too much.

Unable to bear the silence of the house, Elizabeth left.

Without knowing where else to go, her feet carried her toward the Hill of Edenus.

The place where so many memories had begun.

The place she always returned to when her heart could no longer carry its own weight.

There, beneath one of the trees, Lusion quietly poured water around its roots.

He noticed her.

Elizabeth barely noticed him.

She walked over slowly before sitting on the ground.

Then she broke down.

The tears came without restraint.

She tried to calm herself.

She tried to breathe.

But every breath only reminded her of what she had lost.

Lusion watched her quietly for a while before speaking.

"This world is a cruel place."

His voice was calm.

"The innocent become dark. It's all a matter of circumstance."

He looked toward the tree.

"You make an innocent person a prison guard..."

He paused.

"And they become brutal, humiliating sadists."

He turned back toward Elizabeth.

"I feel for you."

"I really do."

Slowly, he walked over and sat beside her.

"If you were with me, you'd be protected."

His voice softened.

"Nothing you'd care about would be lost."

A brief silence followed.

"But..."

He looked away.

"That's the past."

Elizabeth couldn't hold herself together anymore.

She threw herself into his arms.

She held onto him tightly as tears fell like rain beneath the darkening sky.

After a while, Lusion spoke again.

"Was Botas there?"

Elizabeth slowly shook her head.

"No."

Her voice broke as she answered.

Lusion nodded gently.

"Oh... I see."

He looked at the ground.

"So you were busy playing lovebirds..."

A pause.

"...while your mother died at home alone."

The words struck harder than Elizabeth expected.

Back at Elizabeth's Home

Chris stood outside.

The house burned before him.

Orange flames climbed higher and higher, consuming everything inside.

He watched without moving.

Tears slowly formed in his eyes.

He didn't wipe them away.

"Some things happen..."

he whispered to himself.

"And you have to leave them behind."

The fire reflected in his eyes.

"The world is a dark place."

He lowered his head.

"But the situation creates character."

He turned away from the burning house.

"Good... or bad."

Chris turned away from the burning house.

The flames continued rising behind him, swallowing the home piece by piece.

He didn't look back again.

His mind was already moving toward the next step.

Toward Elizabeth.

"She'll experience what she went through in the past..."

His voice was almost a whisper.

"But this time..."

He continued walking into the darkness.

"I'll be the one inflicting the pain."

At Botas' Home

Botas arrived at his family's mansion just as the evening settled in.

Before he even reached the front door, someone came running toward him.

"Mavin!"

The large husky wagged his tail excitedly before jumping against Botas, who laughed as he scratched behind the dog's ears.

"Missed me already?"

Mavin happily barked in response.

Botas smiled before finally stepping inside.

The comforting smell of home immediately greeted him.

His mother was in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

She smiled the moment she saw him.

"How was your date?"

Botas couldn't help smiling.

"It was everything I imagined it would be."

He took off his shoes and walked into the sitting room.

His younger brother and father were completely focused on a video game.

Neither of them noticed him at first.

"It seems you're tired," his brother said, briefly glancing away from the screen.

Before Botas could answer, his father laughed.

"He survived a lot of rounds today... that's my boy!"

Botas rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Yeah... that's a bit much, Dad."

His father grinned.

"I know you, B."

He lifted another controller.

"Come on."

"Let's play GTA 5."

Botas chuckled.

"I'll be right back."

He headed upstairs toward his room.

Once inside, he reached for his phone.

Almost without thinking, he called Elizabeth.

The phone rang.

Then an automated voice answered.

"This number you dialed can't be reached."

Botas frowned.

He looked at the screen for a moment.

"She must be busy."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket.

There was no reason to worry.

Not yet.

He smiled to himself before heading back downstairs.

Ready to spend the rest of the evening with his family.

Completely unaware...

that Elizabeth's world had already fallen apart.