Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

June 22^nd, 2025

“Hello?” Evil’s voice echoed through the air. It was dusk, the sky was dark orange. Evil looked around, nobody else in sight. She was panicking.

“Where are you?!” Nothing. Tears started forming in her eyes.

“No! Don’t leave me, please!” The sky started getting darker, colored just like the blood she saw that day. Suddenly, she heard a voice. But it was not from whom she hoped to hear. It was her own voice, mocking her.

“You wanted the picture...” Evil looked down at the rocks she was standing on. They were whispering the same thing at her.

“Please! I’m so sorry!” She fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. The rocks opened up, allowing the void to swallow her. In the void, she saw that face, wherever she looked, it was there, that face once full of kindness, now resenting her.

Evil shot up in her bed, gasping for air. Her bangs sticking to her forehead from the sweat. Tears started coming to her big, dark red eyes. Looking around, trying her best to calm down, her gasping slowly turned into quiet sobs. “Why?” She whispered, careful to not wake up her sister, who was sleeping in her bed on the other side of the room. “It’s been 3 months... Why do I still see your face, mom?” Time felt like it stopped, she hadn’t realized how long she was crying for. She picked up her phone to check the time. 3:43 AM. She sighed, wiped her tears and tried to fall back asleep, managing it after a few more minutes of silent crying.

Evil was woken up by a familiar voice. “Wake up girls, time for school.” Vedal’s voice came from the doorway, cold and distant.

She couldn’t even see him before he turned around and walked away. “Morning sis!” Neuro was awake, her voice soft and soothing, a stark difference from the nightmare Evil had to experience.

“Morning...” she tried to return Neuro’s happiness, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“Another nightmare?” Neuro came over to her bed, sitting next to her sister. Evil quickly nodded, prompting Neuro to give her a hug, trying her best to give her little sister some comfort.

“It’s ok, I’ll always be here for you”.

“I know... it’s just so hard whenever I see her again...” her tears started flowing again. “I can’t get her image out of my head”.

Neuro paused for a bit. “That shows how much you loved her, and how much she loved you...”

Neuro really had a way with her words. She somehow knew what to say at every moment. Evil looked at her big sister, her hair still messed up, her big blue eyes tired, yet full of kindness and love. She hugged her sister back, savoring the moment, giving her a brief escape from everything negative that was piling up. The embrace was sadly cut short by a sharp voice.

“I said get up, you’ll be late!”

The sisters immediately realized the tone, promptly getting up. Neuro went to the bathroom while Evil stayed to make the beds. It was Evil’s turn to pick out outfits for the day. Most of the clothes in Neuro’s closet was basically the same – lively, bright colors, usually pink, so it wasn’t hard to choose something she’d like. Evil decided on a pink top and yellow skirt, simultaneously judging and admiring how positive and cheerful her sister can be despite everything. As for herself, she settled on her signature dark gray dress and jacket and dark red bow. She never was a fan of standing out after all. After Neuro was finished washing up, she came back to the room, signaling to Evil that she can go next. Before she left, Neuro placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder, saying some encouraging words.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get through this, together”.

For the first time this morning, Evil smiled, believing things really will get better. She made her way to the bathroom, determined to not let another nightmare ruin her day again. After washing her face, she looked in the mirror, hoping the scars had faded a bit, but they were still very visible. A constant reminder of what happened that day.

“Dang it, guess I still have to use the makeup…”

Evil didn’t particularly like makeup, but being forced to choose either putting some foundation or not hiding her scars, there wasn’t much of a debate. She grabbed the brush and reluctantly started putting on the foundation, watching as her scars started to blend with her skin, becoming almost impossible to notice. For her though, she could still see them, no amount of makeup could truly make them invisible to her eyes. Luckily, her dress had long sleeves so there was no need to worry about the scars on her arms. She finished washing up, got dressed and prepared to go downstairs for breakfast. Usually, she went down second, waiting for Neuro, but today she felt brave, her sister’s encouragement showing itself to be impactful.

The smell of freshly cooked eggs made its way through the house. Evil made her way to the dining room, allowing herself to believe today would be good, but slowing her pace as she approached. She saw Vedal in the kitchen, cooking the eggs in Anny’s signature pan. He was more composed and skillful than a few months ago, the cooking lessons he took showing they weren’t wasted.

“Good morning…” Evil said shyly, nervously waiting his response.

“Morning, how did you sleep?” Vedal replied, still with no emotion, his mouth was just on autopilot, but regardless surprising his daughter.

“I slept ok…” she lied, trying her best to not bring up the nightmare again.

Vedal paused and looked at her. He could tell she was hiding her feelings, and he figured what it was. “Breakfast is almost ready, one more minute.”

Evil sat at the table, Neuro coming downstairs soon after, greeting Vedal. “Morning, dad.”

“Morning, how did you sleep?” A copy and pasted response from the turtle boy. Classic.

“I slept well, what’s for breakfast?” Neuro wanted to get straight to the point. She did love food after all.

“Ok Miss Impatient, we have toast and omelette, your favourite.” The sarcasm was still pouring through his voice, but without the warmth it used to have.

“Yay!” Neuro was bubbling with joy, her mouth filling with saliva. Soon enough, Vedal put down two plates on the table in front of the sisters. Neuro immediately dug in, enjoying every bite. Evil however, ate slowly, a small smile forming on her face as she remembered that one day when she was eating this exact meal…

April 16^th, 2025

Evil was sitting alone during lunch break, as Neuro needed to help some friends with their group project that day. She was slowly munching on her omelette, lost in her thoughts. Thoughts of regret, loss, and grief. She snapped out of her thoughts after a tray landed on her table, right across from her. She looked up, a boy sat down in front of her. Evil looked at his short blond hair, large blue eyes, and warm smile. Before she could say anything, he spoke first.

“Hi! I’m Alex, nice to meet you!” his voice was gentle, yet energetic.

Evil tensed her shoulders and looked down, not used to being approached like this. She lifted her hand to perform a small, unsteady wave, and introduced herself.

“H-hi… I’m Evil…” her voice was nervous and shaky, and she struggled to maintain eye contact.

Alex took the opportunity to make a joke, hoping it would help break the ice. “Really? You seem pretty nice to me.” His joke had the desired effect, with Evil letting out a small chuckle. Noticing her relax her shoulders, he continued.

“I noticed you were sitting alone so I thought I’d provide you some company. Is that ok?” He wanted to ensure he didn’t scare her off.

A small smile formed on the girl’s face “Yeah, It’s ok...”

“Great, thanks!” The two sat in silence for a moment as Alex started to eat his meal.

Evil paused for a bit, and asked him: “Wait a second, did my sister tell you to talk to me?” Neuro, worried about her little sister, would absolutely do something like that.

Alex was surprised, and after swallowing the bite he was chewing, replied: “Nobody told me anything, I came over just because I wanted to, I didn’t even know you had a sister.” Trying to ease the situation, he asked: “Wait, I think I remember you usually eat with another girl, is that her?”

Evil looked down, a bit embarrassed, and answered: “Yeah... that’s Neuro, my older sister…”

“Oh that’s cool, you must be really close!” Alex was showing genuine interest.

“Yeah, we are…” Evil was smiling a bit more, his presence wasn’t forced or awkward, she started to enjoy his company. Suddenly, she realized he was asking a lot about her and she didn’t ask anything about him, so she decided to reciprocate. “What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

“Nah, I’m an only child. Sometimes I do wish I had some though.” He paused for a bit before continuing. “By the way, is Neuro your only sister or do you have anyone else?”

Evil responded: “She’s my only sister, no one else.”

Before they could continue, the bell rang, prompting them to go put away their trays. Before splitting ways, Alex said: “It was great to meet you! Oh, do you have anything after school? Would you like to hang out?”

Evil was taken aback. An invitation to hang out with someone? She couldn’t remember the last time she experienced that.

“U-um… I don’t have anything… so I-I guess we can hang out…” she replied, looking away and blushing a bit.

“Great! Wanna meet at the front entrance after classes?” His voice was even more cheerful than before.

“Yeah... we can do that!” Evil tried her best to reciprocate the excitement despite her shyness getting in the way.

“Awesome! I’ll see you then!” Alex replied, before heading to his class.

Evil made a quick stop to the bathroom, washing her flustered face. She was nervous yet excited, meeting a new friend who actually showed interest and care was wonderful. She couldn’t wait to tell her sister about this.

Luckily, after her next class, she managed to run into Neuro in the hall, and immediately stared telling her everything.

“NEURO! I made a new friend today, we’re hanging out after school!” She was bubbling with joy.

“Really?! I’m so happy for you!” Neuro replied, full of pride, promptly giving her sister a big hug.

Evil wasn’t a fan of public affection, but was too happy in the moment to care, and returned the hug. Neuro noticed how excited her sister was, not pushing her away despite being in public. They were in a hurry so she quickly said: “We have to get to class, tell me all about it later today, got it?”

“For sure!” Evil quickly agreed, before parting ways to get to class. The next few classes seemed to last forever, but Evil was patient, hoping it would be worth it.

The time came. The last class was finished. Evil hurried packing, worried to not keep Alex waiting, almost forgetting her notebook on the desk. Neuro was busy with her after school theatre club, so Evil had plenty of time to hang out before she and Neuro went home. Rushing through the hallways, not too fast to not draw attention, she made her way to the front entrance. She started looking around, trying to spot him, but he wasn’t there. Her heart was beating faster, slowly getting worried that she was excited for nothing, completely oblivious to the possibility that Alex maybe didn’t immediately rush out of class like she did.

Just as she started to lose hope, she felt a hand on her shoulder, before she heard a familiar voice.

“Hi! Sorry I’m late, hope you weren’t waiting for long!” Alex sounded just as cheerful as before.

Evil’s happiness immediately skyrocketed, but she was still nervous to show it. “O-oh no, don’t worry, I was just early...”

The two started walking, Alex asking: “So, do you have anywhere in particular you want to go?”

Evil thought for a bit, she hasn’t really been out somewhere in a long time. “Um... I’m not sure, do you have any ideas?”

“Well, I know a great new café down the street, they have awesome ice cream and cookies, sounds good?”

Evil’s crimson eyes widened. That was basically her signature dessert. “Wow! Yeah that sounds good!” her excitement was shining through, unable to be contained.

“Great! Let’s go then!”

The two started walking towards the café, having some pretty normal conversations along the way, with each sentence Evil opening up a bit more, her enthusiasm overcoming her nervousness. Soon enough, they made it to their destination. Evil’s eyes basically sparkled as she looked at all the various ice cream cups of every flavor she could imagine. She set her gaze on the cookies and cream cup, having a perfect mix of her favorite flavors.

“Like what you see?” Alex said, almost teasingly.

Evil chuckled. “Yeah, it’s my favourite! Although, I’m not sure I can eat the whole thing by myself...”

He gave her a proposal: “Well, if that’s the case, why don’t we share one?”

Evil was surprised, she thought for a bit, but ultimately accepted. “I-I mean, if it’s ok with you... sure...”

Alex made the order and they made their way to a table. Evil opened her backpack, looking for her wallet so she could pay her half, but Alex stopped her. “Hey, don’t even think about it, this one’s on me!” His tone was friendly but serious.

Evil blushed a bit, before slowly putting her backpack down. Soon enough, the waitress came over with their order, and they started eating. “Wow, this is the best ice cream I’ve ever had! Thank you so much... I still feel a bit bad that you paid for it yourself...”

Alex replied: “I told you not to think about it, I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it, wouldn’t you agree?”

Evil’s logical side agreed, but her other side was still struggling to understand why someone she just met would be so kind to her. Before she could say anything, Alex continued.

“By the way, I wanted to ask, what’s your ACTUAL name? I hope you don’t blame me for not believing that a parent would name their child ‘Evil’.”

Evil looked down a bit before responding. “Yeah, I understand... My real name is Evelyn. Evil is... I guess you could say a nickname...”

“Oh I see... well I definitely like Evelyn a lot more!”

Evelyn could feel her heart beat faster. Alex’s words somehow kept piercing her with more and more kindness. But then he asked a question she was not ready for.

“I do wonder... How did you get that nickname?”

Her eyes widened, and her breathing stopped for a bit. She hadn’t talked about that with anyone yet... She felt bad not answering but at the same time couldn’t bring herself to think about it again. Luckily, Alex noticed how tense she got, so he tried to de-escalate the situation.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer if you can’t.” His tone was full of compassion.

After a moment of silence, they continued talking about lighter topics like hobbies, favourite subjects, interests, cool plans for the future and similar. Evelyn was fond of having someone to talk to other than Neuro, it was way nicer than she expected.

The two started walking back to school, Evelyn noticeably more relaxed than before. During the walk, she occasionally glanced over at Alex, her thoughts a mix of gratitude and appreciation. She actually met someone who was slowly bringing her out of her shell, something she thought would never happen. After they got to school, Alex had to go, so they parted ways.

“I had fun today, I hope we can continue hanging out more in the future!” He was also enjoying her presence, her calmness and innocence really made him like her.

“Me too… thank you so much, for everything…” Evelyn was still a bit nervous, but felt comfortable enough with Alex to show her genuine gratitude.

“What do you say about hanging out again tomorrow?”

Evelyn smiled. “I’d love that!”

They parted ways, Alex went home and Evelyn stayed, waiting for her sister.

A few minutes later, Neuro showed up, sneaking up behind her little sister. She got behind her and decided to pull a little prank.

“BOO! Did I get ya?”

Evelyn jumped. “AAH! Don’t do that! Not cool!”

Neuro started laughing hysterically. “Hahaha, sorry, sorry, I couldn’t resist!” They started walking home, and Neuro asked what she has been waiting to ask for hours. “Sooooo? How did it go? Tell me everything!”

Evelyn smiled, recalling everything. She started telling her how she met Alex, everything they talked about, how they went for ice cream.

After she finished, Neuro started teasing her. “Aww, my little sister went on a date, how cute~”

Evelyn got flustered, hitting her sister on the shoulder playfully. “H-hey! It’s not like that!”

Neuro was laughing again. “Haha ok, I get it!” Then she continued, with a proud tone. “I’m really happy for you, and I’m so proud of you!” She put her hand around her sister, and Evelyn rested her head on Neuro’s shoulder, her social battery drained.

“I’ll never forget this day, Neuro.”

“Me either.”

Chapter Text

May 17^th, 2025

Evelyn was in the bathroom, finishing putting on some foundation to cover her scars, somewhat hurried. She had already finished her hairstyle, two cute braids with red bows, something she hadn’t done for months, not since Anny did it for her.

“Come on, hurry up!” She was rushing herself.

After a minute more of applying the makeup, she was done, putting everything away.

“Ok, now just to get dressed!”

She put on the outfit she had prepared, strangely enough, it was actually Neuro’s signature, a beige coat and light blue skirt. The brighter colors gave her a softer, more cheerful appearance than usually.

“Phew, made it in time!”

Soon after, Evelyn heard a knock on the door. She knew who it was. She put down her phone and made her way downstairs, very excited. She reached for the doorknob, and pulled the door open, seeing a familiar face.

“Hi Eve! Sorry I’m late!” Alex’s voice came from the door, followed by a small chuckle.

“No, no, it’s ok! Don’t worry about it!” Evelyn was being reassuring. “Come on in!”

They had been close friends for a month already, but this was the first time they met up at someone’s house.

Alex came in, and took a moment to look at her. “Wow, you look great, the bright colors really suit you!”

She blushed. “Hehe… thanks, it’s kinda my sister’s outfit…”

Neuro and Vedal were away, Neuro needed to make a new set of costumes for the upcoming play so he took her to the mall.

Evelyn showed Alex around the house, making their way to the sisters’ room.

“Wow, did you decorate your stuff yourself?” Alex was impressed.

“Yeah… though I did get some advice from my sister, I’m not exactly the best at decorating...” She let out a small chuckle.

“Well I think you did a great job! You matched the colors pretty well!”

“Thank you…” She smiled. “So, wanna get to work?”

“Sure thing, and thanks again for agreeing to help me! I hope I’m not an annoyance...” He was very grateful to have a friend who is actually good at math, unlike himself.

“Hey, don’t mention it! I agreed to help you, didn’t I? I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it!” Eve said, smugly.

Alex recognized her tone. “Really using my own phrase against me, huh?”

The two laughed it off, before Alex took out his notebook and put it on Eve’s desk. She began her tutoring, with the patience of a professional teacher. He was consistently impressed not only at how knowledgeable she was, but also how well she conveyed it. They continued their “session”, with some occasional jokes and banter, before Eve excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Alex took this time to look around the room, stumbling on a small photo barely visible behind Eve’s bed. He picked it up and looked at it. It was a photo of what seemed to be her, at some sort of canyon, smiling at the camera. However, after a closer look, he noticed something unusual: her eye color. Hearing the bathroom door open, he quickly hid the photo back where he found it, managing before she came back.

“I’m back!” She exclaimed happily.

“Welcome back! I finished the task, I think I’m starting to get the hang of this stuff now. You’re a great teacher!”

Evelyn put her hands on her hips, standing proudly. “Heh, I do know my stuff!”

They started laughing, before continuing to finish all the remaining tasks.

Once they were done, they started some idle chat, Eve was lying on her bed while Alex leaned back in the chair. It was fun and relaxing, something Evelyn hadn’t experienced while talking to anyone except Neuro lately. However, the conversation was about to take a turn.

“By the way, I wanted to ask...” Alex was a bit nervous to bring this up. “...Do you wear contacts?”

Eve was surprised, wondering why that question would come out of nowhere... did he know? “N-no...” She answered reluctantly. “Why do you ask...?”

He looked down, unsure if this was the best thing to do. After pondering, he looked at her face, there was always something about her eyes, the crimson color couldn’t be natural, right? It always screamed pain, and after seeing the picture, he knew something must’ve happened, and he was worried about her. He bit the bullet and started. “I... I saw the picture behind your bed... I couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong when I saw your eyes in it...”

She paused. He saw it, there is no hiding it. She started thinking, would it be a good idea to tell him? She never thought she would be telling this to anyone... After all, she locked this memory away in the deepest part of her brain. Her mind started weighing what would be best, she was getting a bit uneasy, her breathing becoming more uneven. Suddenly, she felt something. Alex had come closer in the chair, his hands holding hers. She opened her eyes, looking at his face. His eyes have always had a kind look, but in this moment, it was multiplied tenfold. Before she could say anything, he talked first.

“It’s ok, if you can’t talk about it, it’s completely fine. I just want you to know I’m here for you, I’ll support you, no matter what it is.” His voice was so gentle, as if a single decibel more would completely shatter her into pieces.

Hearing that, she was overflown with emotions, tears slowly forming in her eyes. But not tears of sadness, instead, those of gratitude and wondering of why she deserved such grace. She smiled despite the tears, and after a moment of silence, answered.

“No, you deserve to know... You’ve helped me so much already...”

He sat down on the bed, right in front of her, still holding her hands. “I’m here. I’m listening.” His words lighter than air, giving her the strength she needed. And she really needed it, so she could release the memory locked away and recall every detail. After composing herself, she began remembering, slowly.

“It happened on my birthday this year...”

March 25^th, 2025

It was a sunny day. Around 6 PM, before sunset, a wonderful early spring afternoon. Evelyn’s hair was flowing in the breeze as she hopped around from rock to rock. Soon, a sweet voice could be heard.

“Careful sweetie! Make sure to not trip!” Anny’s voice was flowing through the air, full of love.

Eve laughed. “I know mom! Don’t worry about me!”

It was her birthday, Vedal and Neuro were at home preparing a big surprise, so Anny took Evelyn on a mother-daughter trip to a beautiful national park nearby to keep her busy. There were two tall waterfalls flowing into two lakes in a great canyon, a wonderful sight.

It wasn’t their first time here. Shortly after Evelyn was born, the whole family went to this place, noticing how much the scene resembled them. The waterfalls of Vedal and Anny’s love flowing into the two pools, their daughters, in the large canyon of the world. Ever since, they made it a tradition to visit at least once a year, and Anny and Evelyn were there, fulfilling that tradition.

Eve was full of enthusiasm, having fun running around and looking at various things. She didn’t need to think, her mom was there, and she always protected her from everything.

Anny was looking over her daughter, her gaze protective yet gentle. She was thinking about how much Eve loved to mess around, and how many times she had to get her out of trouble. It was exhausting, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world, she loved her children so much.

They began walking together, Anny holding her daughter’s hand to make sure she doesn’t get hurt. Eve started pointing at something. “Look mom! That butterfly is beautiful, its wings are the same color as your eyes!”

It was a beautiful purple butterfly, flying carelessly through the air. It came closer to Evelyn, who instinctively stuck her finger out for the butterfly to land on. To her surprise, it actually landed on her finger. She was ecstatic. “Yay! It likes me!”

Soon enough, it flew away, landing on a nearby rock. Sadly, it didn’t realize that would be the last thing it did. Out of nowhere, a chameleon sneaked up behind it and snatched it, depriving the world of its beautiful wings, forever.

“Noooo! I liked the butterfly...” Eve was sad.

Her mom began to comfort her. “Aww, it’s ok sweetie, sometimes life isn’t fair. But now that the butterfly served its purpose, it’s done in this world. If it didn’t finish everything, it would still be here, right?” her voice was soothing, being used to comforting her little girls through everything.

They continued walking, until they made it to the canyon, now already dusk.

“Wow, it’s just as beautiful as I remember...” Evelyn was amazed looking at the view. The waterfalls stood like two pillars holding up the whole canyon.

“Mom! Can you take a picture of me?” She stood on a boulder, holding a pose.

Anny obliged. “Of course sweetie! Let me get my phone!” Her voice filled with determination to grant her daughter’s wish. She took her phone out of her bag and stood in a spot where she could get the best angle for the photo. This spot was a rock right on the edge of the cliff nearby.

Snap. The photo had been taken. Evelyn started to make her way towards her mother, when a crack was heard. But the crack was not where Eve was, it was below Anny.

The rock Anny was standing on gave in, failing to support her. It started to collapse. The gravel around it began pouring down. She dropped her phone while trying to balance. It was too late. There was no more support beneath her feet. She didn’t have time to scream before she could no longer be seen by her daughter.

Evelyn’s emerald eyes widened. She stopped breathing. She started running towards the cliff.

“MOM!”

Tears came.

“PLEASE! NO!”

She was holding out hope, maybe the drop wasn’t huge, maybe there was grass, trees, water or something to catch her. She got to the edge and looked down. No grass, no trees, no water, just sharp rocks and the body of her mother, unmoving, blood staining everything around her.

“HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE!”

The tears came even more. She was looking for a way down to her. After finding it, she came rushing down. She tripped on the way, hitting her face on the rocks, several cuts forming. But she didn’t care, she needed to reach her mother. She got to her. A large rock was piercing her stomach. Several more lodged in her back, head and limbs. Her beautiful purple eyes were lifeless.

Death had come and snatched Anny, depriving Evelyn of her mother, forever.

Her birthday, a day that was supposed to be full of joy and laugher, had turned into a day of pain and grief.

Evelyn grabbed her mother’s hand, which lacked the warmth it used to have. Her cries became mixed with screams. The screams were so horrific and painful, she didn’t know such sounds could ever come from her throat. Even more tears came. They started mixing with the blood from the cuts on her face. She was crying blood. The blood started to overwhelm her eyes. It slowly mixed with her corneas, turning her eyes crimson, forever altering them.

She must’ve passed out, as the next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital. She saw Vedal outside the room, talking to a doctor. Then she turned her head, and saw Neuro. She was crying, but got up immediately when she saw her sister was awake, running over to her and hugging her. Vedal noticed too, running inside and hugging both of his daughters.

Evelyn couldn’t remember what happened right away, so she asked: “Where is mom? Is she ok?”

Neuro’s crying intensified. Vedal didn’t know how to respond. She started to remember. The photo. The fall. The blood. It all came back to her. “I… I killed mom!” More tears came. They were painful, as she was still recovering from her injuries.

Neuro looked at her sister, her big blue eyes shining from the tears. “No! Don’t say that! It wasn’t your fault!” Despite also grieving the loss of their mom, she was still finding enough strength to comfort her little sister. The family stayed together for a long while.

Evelyn got discharged from the hospital the next morning. When they got home, Vedal went on the phone to make the funeral arrangements. The sisters went to their room. The wound was still too fresh, and they couldn’t stop crying. The most caring person they’ve ever known… gone. Taken from them forever.

Both were grieving, but Neuro, the ever protective big sister, dedicated most of her strength to make sure Eve was not spiraling out of control.

One week later, Eve took her mom’s phone and printed out the picture that she took in her last moments, so she could always have a reminder of how much her mom loved her.

May 17^th, 2025

“So… that’s it… that’s what happened that day, and why my eyes became red…”

She hadn’t realized how much she was crying while telling the story. Alex was wiping her tears occasionally.

“Wow… I had no idea…”

After wiping her tears one more time, he put his hand on her forehead, moved her bangs out of the way, and leaned forward, giving her a soft forehead kiss, before putting his arms around her, in a gentle but firm hug.

“You are really brave. I’m proud of you.” He whispered.

She hugged him back, closing her eyes, wanting to savor this moment forever. They stayed together for a long while.

Chapter Text

May 17^th, 2025

Evelyn and Alex were still talking about the girl’s past. They were discussing a few lighter topics, such as Evelyn’s love for harpoons and her sister’s amazing acting and designing talents. Eventually, she noticed how much she was talking about herself, so she decided to show some interest in Alex’s life as well.

“I just noticed… You listened to so much about me… I’d like to help you out as well, is there anything that’s bothering you?”

The boy just softly smiled. “Nah, it’s not important, this is what you need to do now, it’s almost over.”

Evelyn wasn’t sure about this, something wasn’t right. She tried to ask a few more times but never got anything. It felt weird that Alex didn’t want to share anything about himself, but after he insisted multiple times, she let it go.

After some more lighter topics, Alex took the shot. “So… you’re finally ready to talk about why you called yourself ‘Evil’, right?”

Evelyn was surprised, she hesitated for a moment, but after realizing she already revealed one of her worst memories, talking about the one that came the day after wouldn’t be that bad, right?

“I guess…” Her voice still unsure, but more confident than before. She let out a soft sigh and began. “It’s because of what happened the day after my birthday…”

March 26^th, 2025

The sun had already set. Neuro and Evelyn were stuck in embrace, mourning the loss of their mother. Vedal had left the house, despite the rain pouring outside. Evelyn couldn’t look at her own reflection, her new crimson eyes constantly reminded her of what had happened. She was still recovering from the wounds on her face as well, but luckily, they had begun to slowly heal thanks to the doctors’ stitching. They were in silence for a long while. The house that just one day ago was filled with love and laughter was now empty and silent. Nothing could be heard besides the raindrops outside and the quiet sobs of the girls.

“I… I saw her face...” Evelyn started talking, interrupted by the sobbing. “She looked scared… And I couldn’t help her…”

“I know… But... There was nothing you could do…” Neuro was desperately trying to help her sister while also dealing with the loss herself.

Evelyn continued, amidst the tears. “But… if it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have-”

“No!” Neuro cut her off. “We agreed that you won’t blame yourself!” Her voice became more serious, her face still covered in tears.

“I-I’m sorry...” They sat next to each other, Neuro putting her arm around her sister, while resting Evelyn’s head on her shoulder. They stayed like this for a long time, a few cries and sobs could be heard occasionally.

Neuro looked at her little sister, or the broken shell of what remained of her. She knew there was only so much she could do, after all, it was both of them who had lost Anny. She was scared she might say something that would make her feel worse, so she hesitated continuing.

Evelyn sighed, standing up and walking around the room. Her steps were uneven, her arms and legs shaking. She completely forgot she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since breakfast in the hospital.

Her mind was racing, while she was still blaming herself for what happened, a part of her wanted to move on, deeming it wasn’t a good idea to get stuck on the past.

Neuro continued to look at her sister, watching her steps, hoping she didn't lose all strength and collapse on the floor. She noticed Evelyn’s mouth open, her lips dry.

“Sis… you need to drink something, you look really pale… Here, let me go get you some water…”

She stood up so she could go downstairs, but got cut off.

“No…” Evelyn stopped moving, her voice was firmer than before. “I can get it myself…”

Neuro continued softly. “I know… I just wanted to help you…”

Evelyn thought for a bit. “I know you do… But I need to be able to help myself too…”

Neuro sat back down on Evelyn’s bed, unsure whether she should be proud of her sister or concerned for her. She decided to give her a chance. Evelyn took a step towards the door, pausing for a bit, gathering the strength she needed. Neuro let her go, her eyes showing some hope.

Eventually, Evelyn went downstairs to get some water, the crying really was dehydrating her. She poured herself a glass and took a few sips, the cold water finally bringing some relief to her dry mouth. The refreshing feeling also helped her become more levelheaded.

Her thoughts grew more organized, no longer swirling in chaos of guilt and grief. She tried her best to somewhat take her mind off of what happened and focus on something else. She tried to think about anything that could distract her, but no matter what she thought about, Anny’s face would always make an appearance. Defeated, she got a refill and started to drink another glass.

She continued to drink until she heard something. She slowly put the glass down and looked towards the front door. Suddenly, it swung open, slightly hitting the shoe closet located against the wall. She saw a figure standing outside in the rain. The figure took a step indoors, drenched in water. Coming into the light, she recognized who it was, it was her father, Vedal. He put away his coat on the hanger next to him and closed the door behind him, with a bit more force than was necessary.

The girl slowly walked towards him. “Dad…?” She called out to him, not realizing the mistake she had just made.

Vedal gripped the bottle he was holding and looked at his daughter. Evelyn looked back, her breath slowing down. His hair was a complete mess, his shirt barely recognizable from being soaked, his face didn’t have the warm, caring expression it always had. She looked at the bottle he was holding, it was some sort of alcohol, likely rum. She knew her dad got drunk occasionally, but she had never seen him at this low point in person.

He had indeed been out drinking, trying to drown his grief for his wife in alcohol. It was getting to his brain, clouding his judgment. He couldn’t hold back anymore. It consumed him. He tried to resist, but seeing his daughter’s blood-stained eyes was the final straw.

He lifted his hand. Evelyn froze, her mouth open. She was trembling. His teeth gritted. She backed up against the wall, staring at the man who used to look at her with love and care, but in his eyes seeing only rage and resentment.

His hand flew forward, hurling the bottle against the wall. It smashed next to her, with a sound that pierced the room, sending sharp glass shards flying out. Several of them grazed Evelyn’s arms and face, forming shallow slices across her skin, her cheeks and arms gradually getting stained with bright crimson stripes. One shard hit her arm head on, lodging itself inside, blood slowly sipping down it, dripping onto the floor.

The smash was loud enough to make her ears ring. The burning sensation on her arms and face grew more intense with each second passed.

She covered her arm with one hand and the side of her face with the other, letting out a scream of suffering. Her breathing turned erratic and panicked. More tears came to her eyes. She slowly looked at Vedal, her eyes quivering.

He grunted, before taking a step towards her. Her legs twitched. She tried to escape, but she couldn’t. She let out multiple muffled whimpers. He got closer, one step at a time. She wanted to back away from him, but to no avail.

His hand flew forward, landing on her cheek, quickly turning it pink. Her head snapped sideways, she lost balance in her legs, falling to the floor. She landed on her arm, the lodged glass shard hitting the ground first, getting stuck deeper in her skin.

“AAAH!” Evelyn screamed in pain, the blood from her arm flowing out faster. She prayed that it would stop, desperately hoping that this wasn’t real, that it was some sort of nightmare that she would wake up from soon.

But reality quickly struck her down. Vedal bent down and grabbed her by her hair, lifting her up against the wall.

She was sobbing from the pain, physical and emotional. His voice was beyond recognizable, the gentle, caring tone he always used was gone, replaced with raspy, aggressive grunts.

After lifting her high enough that she could somewhat stand on the ground, he grabbed her wrist with his other hand. His firm grip made her skin under his hand turn red. She barely managed to open her eyes, looking at her father. Her red eyes displayed the betrayal she felt, mixed with tears of pain.

“IT’S YOUR FAULT!” His voice sounded nothing like it used to, distorted and full of hate. “YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!”

His screams penetrated the girl’s mind, filling her with even more fear. It was too much. Everything that was happening was overflowing, it was too painful.

Hearing the screaming, Neuro rushed downstairs, calling out before she came. “Hey, what happened? I heard screa-” Just coming to the bottom of the stairs, she stopped in her tracks.

Her eyes widened at the sight she saw. Her father causing harm to her sister. The shattered glass. The blood mixed with alcohol on the floor. Her sister’s crying face begging for help.

She froze in fear. Her mouth widened, her breathing shaky. Her arms trembled as she looked at her father’s face, who had turned his head towards her. She wanted to run, to escape, but memories of Evelyn’s tears whenever she would run up to her and ask for help flooded her brain.

She quickly jumped in, grabbing her father’s arm, trying to free her little sister.

“LET HER GO!” Her voice was full of panic and concern. She had to protect her sister, no matter what. She tried to loosen his grip to make him let go. She was desperate, but determined to do something. Tears came to her eyes as she continued to struggle.

However, despite desperately pulling with all the strength she had, she couldn’t even make him budge. After all, she was far too weak compared to him.

Vedal let go of Evelyn’s wrist and grabbed Neuro’s shirt, striking fear into her eyes. She couldn’t talk in that moment, seeing her father show such rage was beyond horrifying. Before she could make any noise, his hand pulled back, picking the girl up and swinging her, forcefully throwing her into the wooden dining table. She hit her head on the hard edge, instantly losing consciousness.

“Neuro!” Evelyn saw everything, despite the blur of tears in her eyes. Her crying intensified. Her breathing became even more disturbed.

Vedal sharply turned his head back to Evelyn, putting the hand which he used to throw Neuro on Evelyn’s throat.

“You’re evil!” His voice was quieter, more sinister. His hands were slowly shaking more. “You only bring misery to us! Everything went downhill since you came!”

The girl was desperately trying to loosen his grip on her throat. She couldn’t breathe. Her vision was getting even more blurry. Her limbs started to feel heavy. Her movements slowed. She was barely staying awake.

‘Is this it...? Is this the end for me?’ Her thoughts were completely dark. She had lost all hope.

Soon enough, she passed out in Vedal’s hands due to the lack of air.

March 27^th, 2025

When Evelyn woke up, she was in her bed. For a moment, everything seemed normal, she couldn’t remember what had happened the night before. She tried to rub her eyes, touching her face. Strangely, she felt something over her cheeks, actually, over her whole head and even arms. She picked up a small mirror from her dresser and looked at herself. Her head and arms were covered in bandages. Confused, she took a closer look. That’s when she noticed her almost glowing crimson eyes, sharply reminding her of what had happened. The memories of the last two days soon came flooding in, accompanied by a horrible headache.

She thought back to the days before. The tragic events that occurred. Losing her mother, grieving in pain. The suffering caused by her father’s hand. How he hurt her. How Neuro tried to help her. How he hurt her sister as well...

The dark thoughts accumulated. The horrible things her father told her started repeatedly ringing in her head.

‘You’re evil!’ Was she? Was she really evil? No! She never wanted anything bad to happen to anyone!

‘IT’S YOUR FAULT!’ Was it? She was the one who brought Anny to the place where she died… But she didn’t mean for it to happen! Her guilt was piling up, tearing her apart.

‘Everything went downhill since you came!’ Every single word stung her heart. Her chest was full of a sharp pain, unlike anything she had ever felt before.

She never thought such hate could come from someone she loved and who used to love her that much. Her red eyes started filling with tears, it was unbearably painful, ripping her soul into pieces.

She tried to think of something, anything to distract her from the pain. But, no matter what she did, it didn’t help.

“Please, I can’t take it…” her voice was desperate, barely above a whisper.

More silent screams and whimpers echoed in her mind.

Guilt sat in her stomach like a heavy stone. It felt endless, like she was drowning in something she couldn’t climb out of.

She couldn’t hold on anymore... It was too overwhelming.

She grabbed her own arms, starting to shiver.

“It hurts so much…” her thoughts got darker and darker.

There had to be something she could do to get relief from the pain…

Her heart raced. Her throat burned. She felt like she was going to explode.

Evelyn’s eyes filled with even more tears. “Please, make it stop…” her voice cracking as she whispered. She unconsciously started squeezing her hands. Her heart ached more and more. She continued squeezing harder… until she noticed the sting of her nails.

For a brief moment, she finally felt something else. Something other than the tormenting sensation of guilt. She started to focus on it, recognizing the opportunity she was just given. She started debating, would it be a good idea? Is there anything she would lose? Her mind raced. The dark thoughts were accumulating faster. She couldn’t handle it anymore…

It didn’t take long for her to make her decision…

She accepted.

She started slowly clawing into the uncovered parts of her forearms with her nails, keeping enough sanity to not damage any of the blood vessels she saw. It hurt a lot, but she continued. Clawing even harder. The pain wasn’t important, as long as it kept her mind off of the memories. One of her nails had pierced her arm. A small red crescent bloomed on her skin. A small amount of blood sipped out. She let out a small whimper. Despite that, she continued, clawing even harder. Slowly, she started enjoying it.

Another wound formed...

Another one...

And another one...

The crescent shaped slits now covered her arms. The blood was streaming down, decorating them with the same color as her eyes. It didn’t matter though. If she were truly Evil, this would only fit her, right? She continued, crying and whimpering. She was losing control. It was like someone else was controlling her body.

Her breath came out in uneven, shaky bursts. She felt dirty, broken, ashamed. But she pressed down again anyway, whispering to herself: “It’s my fault. I deserve this. I have to feel something else… anything else...”

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, startling her and bringing her out of her thoughts for a moment. The actions she just did began to weigh on her. She slowly looked over at the person who opened the door.

Neuro entered the room, and immediately noticed what her sister had done. Their eyes locked onto each other. Evelyn tried to hide her hands behind her in shame. The dead silence spoke more than any words could.

“EVE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Neuro’s voice was panicked as she rushed over towards her sister.

Neuro quickly grabbed her sister’s arms, her gentle, soft hands getting stained red. She looked at Evelyn’s face, at the crushing burden that was causing her to hurt herself.

“Please… don’t hurt yourself! I’m here! We’ll get through this together!” Neuro tried her best to bring her sister back to reality.

She carefully wiped her sister’s tears before looking around for something to clean up the blood. After a quick scan of the room, she noticed a pack of tissues and some spare bandage on her dresser. After briefly letting go of her sister, she grabbed them, gently patting Evelyn’s arms where the wounds had formed. Once she was done cleaning, she put new tissues on Evelyn’s arms, wrapping the bandages around them to keep them in place, stopping the bleeding.

Evelyn was frozen as this was going on, her breathing unsteady. Seeing her sister so worried made her realize what she just did. She had completely forgotten that Neuro was still with her and loved her, no matter what.

She cried as she fully digested what she did. “Neuro... I-I’m sorry!” Her voice was muffled by her sobs.

The sisters hugged each other, not letting the world separate them.

“What were you thinking? I was so worried about you!” Neuro talked amidst the tears.

Evelyn held onto Neuro tightly. “I-I don’t... I don’t know...”

They stayed together for a long while until both of them calmed down. No words were spoken, the silent understanding was all that they needed.

Afterwards, they began discussing what happened. However, neither of them knew much that the other didn’t.

“Did you bring me in here?” Evelyn asked.

“No... I was going to ask you the same, I also just woke up in my bed... You were still asleep, so I checked up on you, you seemed okay considering what happened yesterday, all the wounds were taken care of. So, I got up and went to the bathroom, and then you also woke up...” Neuro was informing her little sister of what she knew.

Suddenly, Evelyn had a realization. Where was Vedal? Where did he go last night, and did he come back? She was curious if Neuro maybe knew it. “Wait, did you go downstairs yet?”

“No... I didn’t...” They looked at each other, silently agreeing to go together.

Evelyn got out of bed, Neuro helping her walk by putting her arm around her, and the two slowly made their way downstairs. To their surprise, the living room was clean. There was no glass, no alcohol and no blood anywhere. They sheepishly started looking around.

Nobody was there, meaning that Vedal must’ve gone out somewhere. However, they found a note on the kitchen counter. They picked it up and started reading.

“Breakfast is in the fridge, I will be home on time to make lunch.”

Neuro took a peek in the fridge and found some hard boiled eggs and two sandwiches.

The girls realized the tone of the message, and reluctantly ate their breakfast, finding a little moment of peace.

Later that morning, while trying their best to distract themselves from everything that had happened, they heard the front door swing open. First glancing at each other, then at the person who just entered. It was Vedal. He came inside, carrying a large bag of groceries.

He didn’t say a word to them, only glancing at them to see if they were still here. The girls tried to read his face, but failed. Without a word, he began putting away the groceries and preparing lunch.

When he entered, the sisters were holding each other’s hands and shakily breathing. But the more time had passed, they saw he had no intention to cause any additional harm, which granted them relief.

After around half an hour, Vedal’s voice came from the kitchen. “Here… lunch is ready…” It was lacking any emotion or energy, sounding completely lifeless and defeated.

The sisters came to the dining room table and started to eat. The lunch was simple and very average, but not terrible.

And that is how the entire day went. Vedal did what was required of him and didn’t interact with his daughters beyond that. He barely looked at them, and they instinctually avoided him.

The next few days would be similar, with the only difference being that he would occasionally speak, either to call them to eat, to wake them up for school or other comparable situations. Nothing beyond the basic necessities.

Neuro was slowly recovering, being able to act relatively normally, but Evelyn couldn’t let go. The words he said to her that night were permanently stuck in her head, and every time she tried to fight them, they just hurt even more.

Eventually, she tried the only option she had left. Accepting them. Maybe by agreeing with them, they would stop tormenting her. She was hesitant, but she tried. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt as much. It seemed like this was the only thing that worked. She adopted the name Evil, accepting that it was her fault for what happened to her mother. Hiding her scars would be her punishment, the burden she would carry.

Neuro didn’t like this, she tried to talk her sister out of it a few times, but Evelyn convinced her that this was the only thing she could do. “I know you don’t want this… but I tried everything… nothing else brought me any peace of mind… please, just let me do this…”

Neuro reluctantly agreed. “Ugh, fine… but I’m never gonna call you Evil, you got that? I love you too much!”

Evelyn slightly chuckled. “Thank you sis… I love you too…”

May 17^th, 2025

“Wow, you managed to get through everything without crying! I’d say you’re doing better already!” Alex’s cheerful voice contrasted Evelyn’s somber memories.

Evelyn was surprised, pausing for a bit. She slowly put her hands on her face, and indeed, there was not a single tear. A part of her was glad, being able to finally think of that day without pain or crying, but another part of her was confused.

Why is that the first thing he pointed out?

He didn’t comment on anything that actually happened, the first thing he did is congratulate her for not crying?

She looked at him with a very confused expression. She was trying to read what his face was saying, but to no avail.

“Um… Why is that what you commented on…? I was hoping to hear your thoughts about what actually happened…” Evelyn’s voice was shy and uncertain.

Alex barely moved from where he was sitting. His face was still holding a slight smile. “Well… there really isn’t anything more I could tell you that you don’t already know…”

Now she was even more confused. She sat in silence, trying to interpret what he was telling her. She started thinking back, analyzing how he usually behaved, and noticed how he was acting differently compared to before.

She opened her mouth, ready to ask him what was going on. But before she could let out a word, she got interrupted.

“Hey sis! I’m back!” Neuro’s cheerful voice was heard from downstairs.

Evelyn glanced towards the door of her room before looking back at Alex. He had an understanding expression, nodding his head lightly.

Evelyn understood. She quietly said, “I’ll be back in a moment.” She got up, heading downstairs to greet her sister and see if she needed any help.

“Hey sis, need anything?” She spoke softly but with love.

“No, no, it’s okay! It’s just one bag!” Neuro’s confidence was unmatched.

After looking around, Evelyn noticed only Neuro came, which surprised her. She decided to ask what happened. “Hey, um… where’s dad?”

Neuro let her know what was going on. “Oh, he said he needed to go pick up something he forgot… He said he’d be back soon.”

Evelyn was a bit curious, but figured it was likely nothing major. “Oh, okay…” before she could say anything else, Neuro jumped in.

“Hey, by the way, can I pleeeease meet Alex now? You became friends like a month ago and I never even talked to him! I wanna get to know the guy who managed to break through my introverted sister’s hard shell!”

Indeed, Evelyn never introduced Alex to her sister. She started thinking, trying to find the reason why that was. But after looking back, she couldn’t find any explanation, there were multiple moments where they could have been introduced to each other, but for some reason Evelyn denied it every time. It’s like something in her subconsciously didn’t want to let it occur.

She looked at Neuro, figuring that now would be a good time as any to let it happen. After all, they were all alone and in their house, a familiar place, so she agreed. “I mean, if you want to, sure… I don’t actually know why I never introduced you two earlier…”

Neuro smiled. “Yay! Thank you!”

The sisters made their way upstairs, heading towards their room. Evelyn entered first to talk to Alex so she could introduce him and her sister. She looked at the boy, who hadn’t moved from his spot, and said, “Hey Alex, I feel like you should finally meet Neuro… she’s my big sister, after all…”  letting out a small chuckle.

Soon enough, Neuro entered the room with a cheerful greeting, before even looking inside. “Hi there! I’m Neuro, Evelyn’s big sister! Nice to meet-”

Upon taking a look inside the room, she paused.

Confused, she looked at her sister. “Um... sis?”

Evelyn looked over at Neuro. “Yeah? What is it?”

Neuro concerningly asked, “Where is he?”

Evelyn, who thought her sister was joking or pranking her again, let out a small laugh before answering. “What do you mean, he’s right-” She abruptly paused as she looked over at the spot where Alex was sitting, finding it empty.

Chapter Text

May 17^th, 2025

Evelyn completely froze. Her eyes were fixed on the empty bed, where she had just seen Alex a moment ago. She forgot to breathe. Her mind was racing.

Catching her breath, she tried to explain. “H-he was here… he was right h-here!” She was barely able to form a sentence.

Her heart started beating faster. She turned away from the bed and started frantically looking around the room.

“No, no, no! Where did he go?! He was here!” Her eyes were filling up with tears. “I helped him study too!”

Neuro glanced over at Evelyn’s desk, finding it tidy, no notebooks, pencils or anything related to studying on it.

She tried putting her hand on Evelyn’s shoulder, but Evelyn blocked it.

“Don’t! We were talking normally until you came here! It’s your fault! You never listen to me!” Her teeth gritted. Startled, Neuro took a step back, her eyes also starting to fill up with tears.

Evelyn’s hands were shaking, nails digging into her palms. The room tilted, blurring around the edges. “He was real,” she whispered, then yelled: “HE WAS REAL!”

Neuro bit the bullet and stepped forward, grabbing her sister’s wrists, trying to stop her from causing any more harm to herself. Evelyn protested, attempting to free herself.

“Let- me go! You don’t understand! He was the only one who helped me! He was the only one who cared!”

Neuro felt a sharp pain in her chest. Those words made her think back. She looked back at her failures. Her failures to help Evelyn, not providing the support her sister needed. She failed as a sister. That had to change. She pulled her sister close, sitting on the bed with her in embrace.

Evelyn was still trying to free herself, pushing Neuro away. Neuro grabbed her sister’s shoulders, looking at her shining crimson eyes.

“I care too!” Her voice was shaky, mixed with some sobs she tried to hide. “I… I’m sorry I didn’t help you more!” The tears were flowing down her face.

Evelyn stopped trying to get away, her fingers grabbing her sister’s shirt. She started slowly staining it with her tears.

The girls stayed in embrace for a while, the only thing that could be heard were their shaky breaths and a few muffled cries.

“I’m here for you, please, hold onto me… I promise I will do better! I promise I will take care of you!”  Neuro put her hand on her sister’s cheek.

“You p-promise?” Evelyn muttered out, looking at her sister’s beautiful blue eyes.

“I promise! Forever!” They held each other tightly.

After a moment, Evelyn started sobbing again. “Neuro… I-I miss him… he felt so real!”

Neuro patted her sister’s head, whispering to her: “He might not be real, but everything he said to you was. That comfort, the strength, it all came from you… it was always yours…”

Evelyn’s mouth opened, she froze resting on Neuro’s shoulder. The sobbing stopped for a moment, tears still falling. That realization was exactly what she needed.

Suddenly, a monotone voice came from downstairs. “I’m back.” Vedal had returned home.

The sisters glanced towards the bedroom door, and then at each other.

Neuro wiped her tears before speaking. “I’ll go down to help out, are you gonna be ok?” She put her hand on her sister’s shoulder.

Evelyn wiped her tears too, trying to sound brave. “Yeah... I am!”

Neuro slowly stood up from the bed before turning towards her sister. She leaned down, giving her sister a forehead kiss. “I know you are...”

She made her way through the door, leaving Evelyn sitting alone on her bed.

The door closed softly behind her sister. Evelyn heard her footsteps creak down the stairs, each one fading until there was only silence again.

The little sister stayed there, not moving. She started thinking about everything that happened. Her sister’s words resonated in her mind.

She sat on the edge of her bed, arms wrapped tight around her middle, rocking slightly without realizing it. The room felt too big, like the walls were inching away from her, leaving her exposed. She looked back at all the moments she spent with him.

Her voice came out hoarse, half a whisper, half a plea. “Why did you leave me? Why now? I needed you. You were the only one who—” Her throat stopped.

A jagged laugh broke from her lips. “Of course. You were never really here. Just me, talking to myself. Making things up like a little kid...” She shook her head, harder and harder, putting her hands on her eyes. “Crazy... That’s what I am... Crazy.”

Her chest burned as she gulped for air. All the memories started flooding in: her mother’s smile just before the fall, her father’s rage, the sting of glass. And then the boy’s voice — soft, steady, telling her she wasn’t alone.

“I believed you,” she whispered, staring at the empty chair in front of her desk. “I believed every word. And I-I don’t even know if it was you or me anymore. Did I really comfort myself? Or did I just… lie?”

She glanced to her palms, the faint marks of nails on them. Staring with disappointment that she almost let herself do it again.

“I wanted someone to see me. Just one person. And you… you were perfect. You said all the right things. And now you’re gone. Just like mom...”

Tears slid down her cheeks, but she didn’t bother wiping them away.

Her sobs were interrupted by a calm voice. “Sweetie, you’re not alone…”

Evelyn was startled, quickly looking around the room in a panic. “Mom? W-was that you?” There was no response, but it was unmistakable – she had just heard Anny’s voice. Her panic dissolved back into grief. “Mom… please… what do I do?” She was desperate to get a reply, looking around once again. But it was no use. She was alone, nobody else in sight.

Faint noises could be heard from downstairs. Neuro walking around, helping her dad with something. Her gentle voice was muffled but unmistakable. Evelyn looked towards the closed door, picturing her sister’s caring face, remembering what the voice told her.

She swallowed hard, her voice breaking on the words: “She’s all I’ve got left. And I almost pushed her away too.”

She pulled her knees up, hugging them tightly to her chest, her body curling in on itself. Her breathing steadied little by little, but her eyes stayed fixed on the empty space by the chair - the absence that felt heavier than anything else in the room.

May 31^st, 2025

Neuro and Evelyn’s room was starting to look like quite a mess - stacks of old notebooks, tangled clothes, dust collecting in corners... The girls decided that it was about time to do something about it.

Neuro sat cross-legged on the floor with a garbage bag, tossing in things Evelyn muttered she didn’t care about. Evelyn was half-heartedly folding a pile of shirts, her movements sluggish.

“Feels like we’re digging through fossils...” Neuro joked, pulling out a broken toy hairbrush. “Remember when you used this thing on my head and got it so tangled Dad had to cut a chunk of my hair off?”

Evelyn’s lips twitched, though she didn’t fully smile. “Yeah... you screamed like you were being murdered.”

“Hey! You were the murderer!” Neuro shot back, smirking.

The sisters laughed a bit, enjoying the reminiscing, before continuing cleaning up. Soon after, Neuro’s hand brushed against something wedged behind her dresser. She tugged it free, coughing at the dust. It was a thick, hard cover book.

She paused her breath. “Eve… look.”

Evelyn’s eyes flicked over - and she froze. A photo album. Their mother’s photo album.

Neuro hesitated. “I still can’t believe she insisted to print out all these photos and put them in a physical album...” she looked over at her sister. “Do you want me to put it away?”

Evelyn stared at it like it might burn her. For a long moment she didn’t say anything, until finally she shook her head and answered, barely audible: “No... open it.”

Neuro sat closer, laying the book on the bed between them. She flipped the cover, and there she was — Anny, smiling at the camera with wind-tossed hair, holding Evelyn as a toddler in her lap.

Evelyn’s breath paused in her throat. She traced the edge of the picture with her finger, as if that would magically bring her mom back. “I don’t… remember this day...”

“I do…” Neuro said softly. “You wouldn’t stop crying. Mom kept bouncing you, singing that dumb song about a crazy robot body until you finally passed out.”

Evelyn gave a shaky laugh. “Really? Well, she was good at that. Making everything… softer.”

They turned the pages slowly. Birthday cakes. Cute outfits their mom had stayed up sewing. The beach trip where Evelyn’s sandcastle got destroyed by a wave and she cried until Anny built a new one with her. So many memories contained in one place.

Neuro pointed at a picture of their mom carrying Evelyn on her shoulders. “See that? She always said you were her little shadow. That no matter where she went, you’d be there.”

Evelyn’s throat tightened. “And then I made her go somewhere she couldn’t come back from...”

Neuro’s arm went around her instantly. “Evelyn. Please don’t. That wasn’t you. That was… that was an accident.” She looked at her sister’s eyes, which were slowly filling with tears. “She wouldn’t want you to carry that memory like this…”

Evelyn shook, silent tears slipping down. “I just want her back...”

Neuro pressed her forehead to Evelyn’s temple, struggling to hold back her own tears. “Me too... Every day...”

They sat like that, the album open between them, the pictures catching the afternoon light. After a long silence, Evelyn looked over at her sister and whispered, childlike: “Do you think she’d be proud of us?”

Neuro put her hand on her sister’s head, her voice was steady. “She already was. She loved us more than anything else...”

For the first time in a while, Evelyn leaned fully into her sister’s embrace, not fighting the warmth of it. And Neuro, looking at her little sister, let herself believe that maybe - just maybe – they really could carry their mother’s love forward together.

The girls were interrupted by a notification sound from Neuro’s phone. Neuro carefully let go of her sister and walked over to the nightstand where her phone sat, picking it up and reading the notification. “It’s dad... he says he’ll be late today and won’t be able to make lunch... He said we can order something...”

She looked back at Evelyn, who picked up the album again, looking at the past times with her mom. She was desperately trying to relive those happy moments.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Neuro’s head. “Wait here!” Before Evelyn even had a chance to respond, Neuro bolted out of the room and ran downstairs.

Evelyn stayed on her bed, confused as to what her sister could possibly be up to this time. She decided to just do as she said, to wait here. She flipped through the album once more, each image representing way more than just one moment: representing her whole life with her mom, one she would never be able to continue.

Her mouth formed a small and shaky smile, still accompanied by some tears. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile cause it happened... right?” she paused, letting out a faint chuckle. “Thank you for everything mom, I love you so much.” She hugged the album, just like how Anny would hug her.

Suddenly, a quiet and gentle voice made its way to Evelyn’s ears. “I love you too sweetie…” She abruptly lifted her head, looking around for the source of the voice. But alas, the room was empty, just like it had been a moment ago.

After a moment of silence, Evelyn got up from her bed and continued cleaning up the few things they had left. She decided to keep some of the old toys and memoirs from Anny, so she could continue having things to remind her of the beautiful moments she had.

Just as Evelyn was finishing up, Neuro rushed upstairs and barged back into their room, sounding way more excited than before. “It’s done! Come on!” Evelyn didn’t even get to look at her before she quickly turned around and went back downstairs, gesturing to her sister to follow her.

Evelyn was very confused, hesitant to move at first. After a moment of deliberation, she slowly got up and followed her sister down. As she made her way down the stairs, she caught a faint scent of something. “Huh... what is this? It smells familiar...” she thought.

Neuro continued with her enthusiasm. Evelyn paused, looking at her sister. She had Anny’s apron on, which she already managed to stain, and she had tied her hair into a ponytail, a very rare occurrence. They finally made their way downstairs and Evelyn looked towards the kitchen, finding the sink full of dishes, including the pan Anny always used to make her daughters lunch, despite it being even older than them.

“Oh gosh, what is this? When did you decide to become a chef?” Evelyn said, covering her forehead with her hand.

“Hey, I know I’m not great at cooking, but I just wanted to do something special!” Neuro snapped back playfully.

Evelyn chuckled a bit. “So... what did you make? I just hope it doesn’t poison me...”

Neuro laughed and made her way to the dining room. “Tada!” She exclaimed behind the table, throwing her hands in the air. Evelyn looked down, finding the table set with 2 freshly made omelettes. Her mouth was wide open.

“No way...” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Neuro smiled in pride. “I know it’s not exactly like mom’s, but I did my best, and I don’t care what you say, you’re gonna have some! Got it?”

Evelyn slowly sat in her chair, with Neuro sitting down next to her. After a moment of silence, they began eating the meal. They ate quietly at first. Evelyn was hesitant, poking the food occasionally and chewing slowly, but she didn’t leave food on the plate the way she usually did.

Neuro caught her eye and smirked. “See? No poison!”

Evelyn set her fork down, staring at the dish. “It... It feels so weird. Eating this together, but without her...”

Neuro swallowed hard, her throat thick. She reached out and squeezed Evelyn’s hand. “As long as we love her and love each other, she will always be with us.”

Surprisingly, Evelyn didn’t pull away. She looked over at her sister, and gave a small smile amidst the tears building up in her eyes.

June 23^rd, 2025

After the girls had their breakfast, they said bye to Vedal and went to leave the house so they could head to school. Vedal continued cleaning up the girls’ breakfast, not expecting anything more. But strangely, Neuro came to a stop before walking through the front door and stared at him, not moving. Her blue eyes were piercing the tough shell he built up. They radiated with a genuine, childlike sense of yearning. He looked back at her, confused and uneasy. “Is everything ok?” For a moment, his voice showed that warmth it once always had before that day. He was struggling to remain steady, his emotional shield breaking.

Neuro looked down, something aching inside her. . “We still love you, dad... it doesn’t have to be like this forever...” she turned around out of embarrassment, almost showing some tears. “Bye, dad…”

Before Vedal could say anything, she closed the door and left. He was left alone, but instead of relief, it brought him questions. He stood in place for a long time, deep in thought.

After coming back to his senses, he methodically made his morning coffee and carefully plopped down on the couch. He looked at the armchair where Anny used to sit, and then at the 2 little bean bag chairs. “Vedal, you idiot… Not only did they lose their mother, they may as well have lost their father too…”

He stood up and walked around, Neuro’s words constantly echoing through his mind.

“It doesn’t have to be this way forever…” Well yeah... But after what he did, could it ever change? Could things really improve?

“We still love you dad…” Was that true? Are they actually ready to forgive him for what happened? Gosh, their childlike innocence was terrifying at times. Guess Anny really did a great job teaching them how to love unconditionally…

He let out a sharp sigh. “It’s about time… I have to do something, I can’t continue being this pathetic excuse of a father…” He made a decision. Today would be the day. Today is the day he will begin to rebuild his relationship with his daughters. It will take a lot of time and effort, but it’s better to start now than later. He got to work right away, preparing a special cake he once made with Anny which the girls absolutely loved, as well as their favourite lunch.

A sharp pain stung him as he picked up Anny’s pan. He carefully held it in both hands, as if he was holding her soul inside it. “This is for you honey… This is what you would’ve wanted… right?” He kissed it gently, reminiscing on the wonderful times they had together. Their first date. The proposal under the stars. The wedding, complete with their friends and family. Their daughters being born. That one time they were stranded in the rain and had to sleep under a tree with their jackets as blankets. Countless beautiful memories, now only carried in his heart. He continued preparing the food, imagining where his daughters were at that moment.

The morning air was sharp, still carrying last night’s chill, unusual for this time of year. Evelyn adjusted the strap of her backpack as she and Neuro walked side by side down the cracked sidewalk. The street was busier than usual - cars rushing past, brakes squealing faintly at the stoplight up ahead.

Neuro looked over at her sister with a smirk. “Did you prepare everything for today? Ready for your exam?”

Evelyn rolled her eyes, though her cheeks warmed. “Of course...” She paused for a moment before looking back at Neuro. “You know, you’re really starting to sound like mom.”

Neuro’s smirk faltered, softening into something gentler. “Good. Someone has to...”

They walked a few more minutes without speaking, the hum of car engines filling the air.

After a moment, Evelyn broke the silence. “Do you ever wonder if…” She hesitated, then shook her head. “Never mind.”

Neuro glanced at her. “If what?”

Evelyn swallowed. “If things are gonna continue to be like this. Us just… surviving.”

Neuro slowed down, thoughtful. She squeezed Evelyn’s shoulder. “No... It will change. I don’t know how, or when, but one day, everything will change. You just have to… hold on until then. Promise me you’ll hold on.”

Evelyn looked at her sister — the way she walked tall even when she was tired, the way she carried everything with her chin up. She really wanted to believe her.

“I promise...” Evelyn whispered.

They reached the crosswalk, the red hand blinking above them. A car sped by, slightly too close to the curb, causing a gust of wind that tugged at their jackets, making Evelyn flinch.

“People really drive like maniacs these days...” she muttered, shaking her head.

Neuro hooked her arm through her sister’s, steadying her. “Then we’ll stick close. Can’t lose each other now.”

The light changed, and they stepped forward together, their shadows stretching long across the pavement.

Soon enough, they were at the café where Evelyn went with Alex 2 months ago.

“Wait for me here, I won’t take long.” Evelyn glanced at her sister before going inside.

She took a deep breath. “Time to finally understand what happened...” she thought, starting to look around. It didn’t take long for her to find who she was looking for. “She’s here, that’s good...”

Evelyn had already come here the week before and asked where that waitress was. Her coworkers told her that she was on break and would return today, and she was here, just like they said.

Evelyn waited patiently until the waitress finished bringing coffee to a couple at a table in the corner and walked back towards the counter. She took a step towards her and greeted her nervously. “Hi, miss... could I ask you something, please?”

The waitress paused for a moment, before putting down her tray and answering. “Of course... What is it?”

Evelyn sighed. Now was the time. She spoke with a quiet voice. “Do you... Do you remember when I came here 2 months ago?”

The waitress looked down and paused for a moment. “Yeah... I do.”

Evelyn’s heart was pounding faster. “What... happened that day?” Her eyes slowly formed a few tears.

“That day...” The waitress put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I noticed you were talking to someone who wasn’t there... so I went and informed the manager. He came out and saw you... and felt pity for you, so he told me to get you the ice cream you were looking at... and he would pay for it.”

Evelyn squeezed her hands, trying to remain levelheaded. “I see... p-please thank him... and thank you, too...” She couldn’t look up.

“I will...” They stayed in silence for a moment. “I need to get back to work... thank you for coming...” The waitress told her before continuing taking orders.

Evelyn took one short look at her before turning towards the exit.

Neuro was waiting patiently outside and noticed her sister coming. She recognized her expression, hugging her when she got close. “Hey... so what did she say?”

Evelyn took a deep breath and told her sister what she learned, her chest still aching a little.

“I see... It was very nice of them to do that...” Neuro comforted her little sister. “Hey, at least you understand now.”

Evelyn wiped her tears. “Yeah... I guess...” The girls slowly walked away, Neuro putting her arm around her sister.

Soon enough, they made it to school, Evelyn sighing. “Finally we’re here... This walk felt so long...”

“Hey, don’t worry, everything will be ok! Now you can finally move on.” Neuro’s voice provided some much needed cheerfulness. “Now go and ace that test, make me proud like you always do!”

Evelyn smiled from her sister’s encouragement. “...I will!”

They parted ways and went to their classes. Waiting for the exam, Evelyn took the chance to do some quick revision, just to make sure that she’s ready. While she was revising, she remembered back to when she was helping Alex study, realizing that in reality she was only helping herself, giving herself advice which would prove useful. “At least I taught myself something...”

Suddenly, amidst the chatter from other students, she heard a distinct voice. “You can do it!” There was no mistake, that was Neuro’s cheerful voice. She quickly picked up her head and looked around, trying to find the source. But once again, it was just her and the other students. She sighed in disappointment before continuing revising.

It didn’t take long for the exam to come, and she was more than prepared. After all, she enjoyed physics quite a lot. She was writing away, already nailing all theoretical questions and making her way to the calculation part. “Heh, I guess those maniac drivers are proving to be a bit useful... making it easier to visualize these impacts...”

She handed in her test promptly, just like always, and was able to go to lunch break early. She sat down in the empty hall, in the same spot she always sat in. She was slowly munching on her sandwich, looking over at the empty seat in front of her, the spot where she “met” him. She took a deep breath. It was finally time to do it...

Her voice trembled. “This is where you found me. Or where I… made you up.” She sighed. “I don’t know anymore... I just know it felt real.”

Her throat tightened, but she pushed on. “You were what I needed. Someone who didn’t leave. Someone who didn’t hurt me. You listened. You told me I wasn’t ruined, even when I couldn’t believe it myself.”

Her eyes flicked to the empty seat, and tears formed up. “But you weren’t really here, were you? You were me. A part of me I thought I didn’t have anymore. The part that still wanted to fight. That still wanted love...”

She wiped at her face, though the tears kept falling. “I wish you were real. God, how I wish you were real. Because losing you… it feels like losing someone all over again. And I don’t know how many times I can do that.”

Her fingers traced the grooves carved into the table by years of restless students. She whispered, barely audible: “But if you were just me… then maybe I don’t have to lose you. Maybe I can carry you, even without seeing you.”

She drew a shuddering breath, finally lifting her head. “Goodbye Alex. And… thank you.”

She pushed her chair back and stood, the echo sharp in the empty room. The other seat, his seat, stayed empty, just as it always had been.

On her way out of the cafeteria, a voice popped up behind her. “Goodbye. I’m proud of you…” She looked back, unsurprisingly not seeing anything, she had already lost hope that he was real. But instead of sadness, she found peace in that fact.

Evelyn walked away, her footsteps soft, leaving behind the silence that had been waiting there all along.

The next few classes passed, Evelyn was barely paying them attention. She felt a sense of freedom, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Being able to finally let go of that which she continued to hold onto was a massive relief. Soon enough, school was over for the day, and the sisters reconvened outside the main entrance.

The afternoon sun was shining through the trees as Evelyn and Neuro walked side by side. Their backpacks bounced lightly with each step, the quiet between them comfortable.

“So, did you ace it?” Neuro broke the silence.

“As long as I didn’t make some stupid mistake, yeah!” Evelyn allowed herself to feel proud.

“That’s my sister! Never doubted you for a second!” Neuro put her arm around her for a moment.

After another moment of silence, Evelyn spoke, her voice soft. “I… said goodbye.”

Neuro glanced at her. “You did?”

Evelyn nodded, her eyes fixed on the sidewalk. “Yeah... I know he wasn’t real. But I talked to him one last time. And I finally let him go.”

Neuro slowed, watching her sister with a stunned kind of tenderness. “Eve…” She reached over and squeezed Evelyn’s hand. “I’m proud of you.”

Evelyn’s lip quivered, but she smiled faintly. “It hurt. A lot. But… I don’t feel as heavy. Like maybe I can finally start moving on.”

Neuro’s eyes shimmered. “That’s all I want for you. To start healing. Even if it’s one tiny step at a time.”

For a moment, Evelyn leaned into her sister’s side, letting the warmth of her touch ground her. They slowly continued walking home.

Neuro glanced over, not used to seeing her sister willingly so close. “And since when did you get so huggy?” She took the opportunity to tease her little sister.

“Hey! You should be grateful that I am!” Evelyn backed up, crossing her arms and pouting.

Neuro giggled, patting her sister’s head. “Aww, my little sis is so cute!”

Evelyn was blushing as she pushed Neuro’s hand away. “H-hey! Don’t embarrass me! We’re in public!”

Neuro laughed, putting her arm around Evelyn. “That’s kinda my job, silly! A big sister has a duty to embarrass her little sister every once in a while!”

The little sister continued to show signs of annoyance, but was secretly happy she could have a nice and relaxing walk with Neuro. The sounds of car engines, the breeze blowing, people talking, nothing else was important at that moment.

She wished it would last forever.

They continued walking, the Monday traffic rush still in full force. Cars, buses and even trucks filled the roads. The sisters made it to the last crosswalk before they were home.

A large truck started slowing down, blinking its lights to signal that the girls could pass. They made eye contact with the driver, who quickly waved his hand on the steering wheel in the direction of the other side of the road. Seeing this, they slowly stepped forward together.

Evelyn paused for a second to look at the truck that was waiting at the crosswalk, the physics test still on her mind. “Huh... I wonder how much force this thing would exert if it collided with something...”

Neuro continued forward, just walking past the truck into the next lane.

Out of nowhere, a screech was heard – sudden and violent. The sound of tires rubbing against asphalt. Neuro turned her head just as a blur of metal surged toward her, too fast, too close.

The car driver was going way too fast, and didn’t see Neuro walking behind the truck, he pressed the brakes, but it was too late.

She didn’t have time to react. The impact was too fast to process. Evelyn watched as Neuro’s body was shot into the air, twisting and turning before it came crashing down, staining the road. She landed on her back, her elbow and both knees broken, several bruises forming on her legs and arms.

Evelyn’s mind split. Everything slowed, almost dreamlike. The car door slamming open, shouting, people gathering - nothing was fazing her, all she saw was her sister sprawled on the pavement, hair fanned against the street, her hand twitching once, and then not moving.

“NEURO!”

Her throat tore as she screamed. She stumbled forward, knees slamming hard on the road, clutching Neuro’s shoulders. “No, no, no, no! Get up, please, get up!” Her words fractured, dissolving into sobs.

Neuro’s face was pale, blood trailing at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes flickered, trying to focus. Evelyn’s hands shook as she pressed them uselessly against her sister’s heart, against the place where she thought her life was leaking out.

Neuro struggled to open her mouth. “I… I lo-” she was desperate to finish the sentence, but the strength was leaving her too quickly. She felt her final moment was near. She couldn’t feel her limbs, the pain was numbing her, the sun was shining into her fragile blue eyes. Every breath she took was a struggle.

But then, she thought about how her sister would feel if she couldn’t say it. She focused, mustering up her strength, painfully pulling the last bit of energy from her body, her lungs barley functioning. “I love… you.” She whispered, so quietly, but just loud enough for Evelyn to hear it. She took one more look at her precious little sister, finally giving in and exhaling slowly.

In Evelyn’s head, the world warped. The asphalt began blurring into cliffs, with jagged rocks below. For a moment, it was her mother again, at the bottom of the cliff. Evelyn’s vision doubled - her mother on the rocks, her sister on the road - both broken, both slipping away from her.

“I can’t… please, don’t leave me, I’ll be good, I’ll fix it…” Evelyn’s voice spiraled, a raw cry tearing from her chest. The taste of blood where she’d bitten her lip, the smell of burning rubber, someone yelling to call an ambulance - none of it reached her. All she knew was her hands were too small, too weak to keep her beloved sister from dying.

Her body curled over Neuro’s, desperate to keep a connection to her. Her tears smeared across Neuro’s still-warm skin, dripping into the blood beneath.

The world pressed in… the crowd came, sirens could be heard in the distance. But Evelyn felt only the silence growing inside her, the cold emptiness of losing her only sister.

The pain and despair were unbearable. She felt like someone was ripping out her heart. Everything started to blur. Suddenly, she felt someone pulling her away, but she didn’t want to let go. “NO!” She started fighting back, trying to free herself. “Let me go!” She was squirming, the adrenaline rushing through her.

A man’s voice came from behind, firm but gentle. “Please, you can’t do anything for her, let us take care of her.” Evelyn’s movements slowed as she saw people in uniforms carefully picking up Neuro off the ground.

Her screaming turned to desperation and grief. “Please... Please don’t take my sister from me!” Her breathing was erratic, she was struggling to stay aware. The man holding her attempted to comfort her, but nothing could fill the Neuro shaped hole in Evelyn’s heart…

Chapter Text

June 23rd, 2025

Vedal was fumbling around the kitchen, trying to finish everything on time. “Come on, they’re gonna be home soon!” The sink was clogged with dishes, Anny’s apron stained with several different foods, his hair a complete mess, his shirt full of sweat. “I should really wash up and change after I’m done...” He mumbled before swiftly lowering the heat on the stove.

The cake was prepared, lunch was almost done cooking, he just needed a few more minutes to finish and serve it. His heart was beating faster, terrified of how they would actually react. Was he overconfident? Did he misjudge Neuro’s words? It didn’t matter, he would do what he can, it was his duty to step up. He was the one who caused this divide in the first place.

After some mediocre pan handling, it was done. He quickly put the dish on two plates and set them on the table. “Phew, just in time! Now to just wash up and change...” He went upstairs into the bathroom, washing up and getting new clothes. After washing he paused, taking a look in the mirror, at a mere shell of the man he used to be.

His breathing got faster, he leaned down on the sink, barely able to stand. “Stop freaking out!” He got up and looked at himself again, anger filling his eyes. “You! You caused this! And now you will fix it! Those girls didn’t need this, they were already going through enough!” He was raging, but it felt good, it felt right. He finally directed his feelings at the one responsible for everything.

“You are a failure... You don’t deserve to even call them your daughters. You will make things right, even if it costs you your life!” The truth hurt, but he needed to hear it. No more running away, no more avoiding them, he would face his guilt head on, once and for all.

He let out a deep sigh. Getting it out was a relief. He took one final look at himself, but instead of rage, he felt hope. Hope that he could do something good, that he could mend what had been broken.

Suddenly, he was startled to hear his phone ringing. He quickly put on a new shirt and dashed to pick it up. He paused, surprised to see whose name was on his screen. “Evelyn?” His heart began pounding. Evelyn hadn’t called his phone ever since that day... He hesitated for a moment. Did something happen? Were they ok? He swallowed hard before carefully sliding his finger to answer the call. “H-hey... is everything alright?” His words were quiet, sounding like they would break at any moment, but he was still hoping to hear his daughter’s beautiful voice from the speaker. The anticipation was too much, the short moment of silence felt like it lasted forever.

When he finally heard something from the speaker, his heart sank. Instead of his daughter, he heard the deep voice of a man. “Hello, have I reached Vedal, father of Neuro and Evelyn?” The voice was friendly, but very serious.

Vedal took a moment to snap back to reality. “Y-yes... What happened? Who are you? Wh-why are you calling from my daughter’s phone?” He felt something squeeze his heart. Countless scenarios started rushing through his mind, each one worse than the last.

The man noticed Vedal’s concern, and answered in a softer tone, but without sugarcoating the situation. “My name is Mike, I’m a paramedic. Neuro has been in an accident, she is being driven in an ambulance to the local hospital. Evelyn is here with us, she is unharmed.” The voice was accompanied by the faint sound of Evelyn’s sobs in the background.

Vedal felt his heart sink. His hands started trembling, almost dropping the phone through his fingers. Everything paused. The room tilted. The walls started closing in, suffocating him. Before he could process everything, he heard Mike’s voice again. “Can you make it to the hospital soon, sir?”

Vedal snapped back to reality for a moment. The urgency was more important than how he felt now. He let out a shaky breath. “Y-yes... I’m on my way.”

“Thank you sir, I assure you, we are doing everything we can.” The man responded, hanging up soon after. Vedal was standing still. The phone was slipping through his fingers, ultimately falling through them onto the floor. He made his way back to the bathroom, washing his face. “Get it together, damn you!” He dried off with his towel. “She needs you now, more than ever!” He clenched his fists, taking one last look at himself before picking up his phone, putting on his shoes and grabbing his car keys.

Many dark thoughts raced through Vedal’s mind as he drove unsteadily. He was barely able to follow the traffic, his reflexes were sluggish. The anxiety of not knowing what state his daughters were in was killing him. “Come on… almost there…” Every time he looked at the road, he couldn’t get the image of his beloved daughters out of his head. “Please God... let them be alright... they deserve to be happy...”

The day that was supposed to be a new beginning was turning into a nightmare. The warm sun was shining gently through the car windows, a stark contrast to the dark, cold void he felt inside. “Please... I’d do anything... anything just for them to be ok...”

A car suddenly swerved in front of him, catching him off guard. He slammed the brakes, just barely avoiding a collision. His breathing became panicked, his heart beating faster. But he was determined to get to that hospital to see his girls. He slapped himself on the cheek, trying to regain enough composure to keep driving. “Get it together! They need you now, more than ever!” He gritted his teeth and continued towards his destination.

After a very stressful drive, he finally made it to the hospital, luckily finding an empty spot close to the entrance. The car jerked back as he attempted to turn it off too quickly. He let out a small groan before quickly exiting and running to the hospital, completely forgetting to lock the car. His focus was unshaken. After making it to the front desk, slightly out of breath, he asked the receptionist about his daughter. “Where is Neuro? I’m her father, Vedal.” He was struggling to catch his breath.

The receptionist started typing on the computer. “She is in room 235, head down the left hall and take the elevator to floor 2.” Vedal immediately took off, hurrying through the hall as he was instructed. He managed to reach the elevator, pressing the button to call it. He didn’t even realize how nervously he was tapping his foot as he waited for the doors to open. He jumped inside, clicking to go to floor 2 and repeatedly pressing the button to close the doors quicker.

The elevator moved relatively quickly, but every second felt like an eternity. His heart was pounding faster and faster. As soon as the doors opened, he bolted out, looking around to find where he needs to go. He was startled by a familiar face, making him freeze. On the chair outside one of the rooms sat his younger daughter, Evelyn, head down, crying.

He stepped forward, unprepared. He spent so much time focusing on Neuro that he forgot how he would have to comfort Evelyn and talk to her, something he hasn’t done in months, something he feared she wouldn’t accept. Did she still resent him?

However, he wouldn’t be the one to make the decision.

Evelyn looked up, barely making out what was in front of her through the tears, but she immediately noticed her father. They looked at each other for a moment, not moving. Vedal was too afraid to make the first move. Soon after, Evelyn stood up. Vedal froze, he dreaded to see what she would do. Would she yell at him? Would she walk away? He was preparing for the worst, trying to calm down. “It doesn’t matter... You deserve whatever she does...”

But alas, he wasn’t expecting what she did. She ran forward, almost tripping over her own feet, and faceplanted into his shirt, putting her arms around him. Muffled sobs could be heard as she stained her dad’s shirt with her tears. Vedal’s shock was immeasurable, to think his daughter would still choose to seek support from him after what he did to her...

“This is it! Be the father you’re supposed to be! Be the pillar that your daughter can rest on!” His thoughts gained strength, he would do his duty, the duty he neglected out of fear. He slowly put his arms around Evelyn, one on her back and one on her soft hair, supporting her head. They stayed in silent embrace for a while.

The embrace was interrupted by a doctor walking up to them. Vedal opened his eyes and looked at the doctor, not letting go of his daughter. “Are you Vedal, Neuro’s father?” The doctor spoke with a firm voice.

Vedal swallowed hard, still not letting Evelyn go. “Y-yes... I am...” He braced himself for what was coming.

The doctor looked down slightly, letting out a soft sigh. “We’re very sorry to inform you...”

That was it. Vedal didn’t need to hear the rest of the sentence to understand what had happened. A sharp pain started to form. The image of Neuro’s once cheerful face couldn’t escape his mind.

“...we did everything we could, but your daughter’s injuries were too severe...”

Evelyn’s hands gripped her father’s shirt harder, her sobs grew more intense. Vedal held her tighter, struggling to comfort her, his hands shaking more and more. Evelyn already knew this, she had already abandoned hope ever since she saw Neuro lying lifeless on the pavement. Vedal, who was holding out for the slimmest chance that maybe she could be saved, got his soul crushed into pieces.

“...you can enter the room to say goodbye to her... I’m very sorry for your loss.” The doctor’s voice was full of empathy, but there was nothing that could bring comfort to the grieving father and sister.

Vedal and Evelyn entered the room where Neuro was lying. Evelyn’s steps were shaky, feeling like she would fall over and crumble. Vedal’s were calculated, slow, as if they were dragging along an invisible weight. They made it inside. The heart rate monitor was silent, showing a flat line. Nothing could be heard besides the painful mourning of what had remained of Neuro’s family.

The girl’s cries grew louder as she saw her lifeless sister once again. Vedal was looking down, afraid to see his beloved girl dead in front of him.

He finally gritted his teeth and looked up, his eyes locking onto the corpse of Neuro, onto what had remained of his once cheerful and loving daughter. He felt like someone was ripping his heart out. The memories of a once happy and beautiful family life started flooding his brain, before being snatched away, never to be seen again.

Evelyn stayed in place as Vedal slowly walked over to Neuro’s side, taking a look at his daughter’s precious face, now lifeless and bruised. He shakily reached out his hand, touching her cheek.

She was cold.

Her skin was rough and dry.

Tears came to Vedal’s eyes, his legs were giving out, making him fall to his knees, holding the edge of the bed. He took Neuro’s hand in his own, it was just as cold and lifeless as her face. He squeezed it, desperately hoping that by some miracle he would bring her back.

“Neuro…” his voice was deprived of energy, barely audible. “I’m so sorry…” the pain in his chest grew, clawing at him from the inside.

“I love you so much, my child…” the tears started flowing down his face. “And I always will…” the sobs from his throat got louder. “Thank you for being my daughter…” Every single word burned his throat as he spoke them.

He firmly grabbed his chest, trying to stop his heart from being torn apart. He let out a painful cry, still holding his daughter’s fragile hand. The hand that he had failed to protect. The hand that he let down with his fear and neglect.

There was no comfort in the world that could alleviate that crushing feeling. He felt the smallest and most powerless he has ever felt in his life. The silence in the room was deafening. He kneeled there, mourning his precious daughter.

Soon, Evelyn slowly walked over to the other side of Neuro’s bed. Her knees were buckling. She felt like she would give in and fall through the ground at any moment. She grabbed the edge of the bed, barely stabilizing herself.

She locked her gaze on her sister’s face. The face that brought her joy, comfort, laughter, everything. The face that was so similar to her own, but without the imperfections. She was looking at her sister’s closed eyes, knowing she would never see them open again. Evelyn’s face was stuck in an expression of pain, not being able to relax.

Vedal looked up, glancing at his one remaining daughter and recognizing how much more pain she was in compared to him. He tried to stand up, but couldn’t let go of Neuro’s hand. “Come on you weakling... give her the chance to say goodbye too...” His fingers slowly lifted from his daughter’s hand, twitching as they struggled to let go. He mustered up the strength to look Evelyn in the eyes. She looked back, face full of tears. Vedal was straining his face to hide his weakness, giving his daughter an understanding nod and slowly walked towards the door of the room they were in.

Evelyn looked at him as he walked away, her eyes tracking every step he made. As he walked out, she continued looking at the door for a while, before turning back and looking at her sister. She fell to her knees, grabbing her sister’s hand and resting her forehead on it. Her sister’s hand, that was always there for her, always there to take her own hand in it.

This was it. The last time she would ever feel her sister’s touch again. She tried to speak, but she had no energy, no noise could come from her throat. Her chest burned. Her mind was being tormented.

She looked up at her sister. Mustering up the little strength she had. “I...” her voice was quiet, just as quiet as Neuro’s voice was before she died. “I love you too...”

She stayed by her sister’s side for a long time. No more words were spoken. The room was silent, apart from Evelyn’s occasional soft cries.

After filling out the necessary paperwork in the hospital, getting condolences from various staff members, Vedal and Evelyn made their way to the car. Vedal realized he had forgotten to lock the car, relieved that it wasn’t stolen. Thankfully, there were cameras to mitigate the risk, but it was still careless of him. He sighed as he got in the driver’s seat after opening the door for his daughter.

He turned on the car, his thoughts yelling at him to pay attention to traffic. The drive was mostly uneventful thanks to his increased caution. The big rush had also passed, leaving the roads emptier. He often looked at his rear-view mirror, not at the road behind him, but at his precious girl.

Evelyn’s facial expression hadn’t changed ever since they left the hospital. A flat, hopeless frown and eyes tired from crying. They didn’t speak the whole ride. The sun had already begun to set, painting the sky orange.

They finally arrived, Vedal shakily exiting the car and going back to open the door for his girl. She got out without a word, unsteady on her feet. Vedal looked at her, more and more guilt building up in his heart as she walked towards the house, the sun casting a long shadow of her over the driveway.

Evelyn opened the front door, slowly entering their house and taking off her shoes. Vedal followed closely behind, keeping a lookout for his daughter. She was all he had now, he couldn’t mess up again, he would regret it forever, he would never forgive himself if something were to happen to her too.

The house felt wrong without Neuro. Every corner, every shadow, every step they took, it was no longer complete. After a moment, Vedal realized the house was filled with the scent of the lunch he had prepared. Upon sensing it, his heart ached even more. That hope that he would make things better and rebuild the love in the family was gone. Now that freshly made meal just served to taunt him, to mock him for his failure.

Evelyn sensed it soon after, walking into the dining room and seeing the set table. She froze in place, her eyes locked onto the food. Her and Neuro’s favorite lunch, that they always ate on special days and celebrations.

“D-dad?” She muttered between some sobs.

Vedal quickly came into the room without thinking. “Yes? What is it?” He put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder, his voice drained.

Evelyn flinched when he touched her, still unsure if she should be getting comfort from him. She was still frightened from that day, she didn’t want to lower her guard completely. But regardless, she didn’t push his hand away. She kept convincing herself: “If he wanted to hurt me again, he already would’ve, right?”

“W-what is this?” She struggled to speak amidst the tears.

Vedal looked down and sighed gently. Having to say it would be even more torture than it already was. But she deserved to know, her feelings were the ones that mattered now, not his.

“I… I wanted to start to fix our broken family today…” saying these words aloud was tearing him apart.

Evelyn looked up at him. His eyes showed no deception, everything he was saying was genuine.

She took a step towards him, resting her head on his shirt. She allowed herself to rely on him, to trust him in this moment of despair.

Vedal was taken aback, surprised but also relieved that his daughter was showing affection and letting herself be vulnerable in front of him again. He awkwardly put his arms around her, supporting her head.

Evelyn fully dissolved into the embrace, letting herself believe that maybe, just maybe, there was some hope left.

Vedal looked down, seeing the top of his daughter’s head, so beautiful, yet so fragile. He contemplated for a moment, before bending down, giving his girl a kiss on her head. The first time he had kissed her ever since her birthday…

As she felt the warmth of the kiss, more tears came to her eyes. Her fingers clawed into his shirt, not wanting to let go. She was desperately trying to focus on the love that came from it, but it kept reminding her of Neuro, and how she would also kiss her head like that…

He took one more look at the food on the table. At the letdown he experienced. He sighed in disappointment, making his way out of the dining room along with Evelyn.

They entered the kitchen, Vedal poured two glasses of water, handing one to his little girl. She accepted it and quickly chugged in silence. When she finished, she wiped her face with her sleeve and handed the glass back to him, which he took and put on the counter. Vedal made his way to the couch while Evelyn stayed in the kitchen.

No words were needed, the silence between them already spoke everything.

Evelyn hopped up and sat on the counter, swinging her legs. The refreshing taste of water helped her cool down a bit. Her hands were firm on the cold counter, trying to not fall off. Her eyes were still burning from the tears, her scars were still not fully healed. She continued thinking, finding no peace no matter how hard she tried. Her legs started swinging faster, more unsteadily. Her body felt dried up, brittle.

She tried to grab the glass next to her to hydrate some more, but her hand slipped up, knocking the glass over, shattering it on the floor.

The sound of the glass breaking cracked the air in the house.

She flinched abruptly, her throat closing up. She froze staring at the shards scattered on the floor. For a moment, she was no longer in the kitchen. She was back in that night. Her father’s arm swinging. The bottle breaking on her face. The stinging pain of the glass. The burning of the alcohol. His face twisted in rage. His distorted voice, full of resentment. Fear consumed her once again.

Her chest tightened, she couldn’t breathe. She grabbed her arms, squeezing tight. “No... p-please no!”

Suddenly, she noticed him. He came into the kitchen. She looked at him, shivering in terror. “I-I... I’m sorry!” Her words were desperate, full of panic. “I did- I didn’t mean...” Quick, shallow breaths came out in the middle of her sentences, her eyes filled with tears. Her worst fear coming true again was etched into her brain.

But there was no yelling, no aggression. Vedal just stood in place. He glanced at the broken glass, and then at his daughter’s terrified face. Her gaze pierced his heart, solidifying his failures as a father. “Look at her... Look at what you did to her! She’s supposed to trust you with her life, not tremble in fear because of you!”

He slowly walked over, looking down. He let out a gentle sigh before locking his eyes on hers. “It’s okay...” His voice was quiet, and softer than she had ever heard it. “It’s just a glass, Evelyn. Just a glass...” he turned around, picking up a broom from behind the door and started sweeping up the shards, throwing them in the trash.

He slowly looked up at his daughter again, face full of regret. “She’s the only one you have now. Even if you failed to mend your relationship with Neuro, you still have her. You need to heal this connection too. After all, this one is even more broken...”

He spoke with a gentle voice. “I’m so sorry... a daughter should never be terrified of her father like this...”

The silence between them settled heavily. Evelyn’s shaking stopped, her arms weren’t tense anymore. The faint reflection of the lamp overhead shined its warm light on them. She looked her father in the eyes. She was still not fully ready to let go of everything that had happened, but for once, she saw a small trace of hope.

“I... I want to go to my room for a bit...” Her voice came out quiet, slightly altered from the crying. Vedal said nothing, just gave her a soft, understanding nod and stepped to the side so she could pass. She plopped down from the counter, making small, unsteady steps as she went upstairs.

Vedal continued cleaning the broken glass in the kitchen. The shards clinked as they hit the bottom of the bin, giving him blurry flashbacks to what he did that day. He didn’t bother checking the floor in detail, the emotions were eating him alive. He finally put away the broom and made his way back to the living room, sitting on the couch.

He tried everything he could to think of something else, but the image of one of his his daughters lying lifeless in the hospital bed and the other one scared to death of his presence were painfully haunting him. Wherever he looked in the house, something reminded him of them. The bean bag chairs, the countless photos framed on various shelves, random items scattered around such as their hair bows, shoes or school supplies.

His hands were running through his hair, scratching his head. The more he thought of them, the more aggressive he scratched himself. He started grabbing it so hard that he pulled out several strands of his pitch black hair. He pulled his hands forward and looked at them. The color reminded him of the void in his chest, that could never be completely filled again.

He let out a painful groan as he continued, leaning over and looking down. “Stop! Get out of my head! Please!” His thoughts were swirling, unable to find anything to cling onto, any peace to relieve the pain.

That’s when he noticed it. An unopened bottle of rum on the top shelf of the cabinet in the corner. The colorful bottle behind the transparent glass, contrasting the bland white shelves. It stood out to him.

It was calling him. He could hear its taunts. “No… you can’t…” He tried to fight it, desperately convincing himself it wouldn’t lead to anything good. “Don’t you remember what happened last time? You ruined everything!”

But it wouldn’t stop. It kept taunting him, mockingly. And every time he thought about Neuro, the desire to give in and ease the pain grew stronger. He slowly stood up, walking towards the cabinet. He felt hypnotized, walking almost zombie-like. The house seemed like it warped, bending and breaking apart without his precious daughter there to keep it together.

He reached the cabinet, grabbing its sides to not fall over. His head was still whirling with emotions. He caught a glimpse of his reflection on the glass and quickly looked away, trying to hide himself from the shame. His hand shakily opened the glass door, leaving the bottle within reach.

He felt it whisper to him, luring him in. He gripped the bottle’s neck, carefully picking it up and bringing it closer to himself. He stared at it, as if it were the only thing in the room. He popped the cap open, the rational part inside him begging him to stop. “Please, don’t do it!”

But it was too late. With an unsteady hand, he tilted it up, the liquid entering his mouth, bringing a fresh sensation to it. He kept it there, desperately trying to stop one last time. It was no use. He swallowed, full of guilt, the burning alcohol sliding down his throat.

Evelyn was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The room felt empty and dark. The silence was unbearable. There were no cheerful voices, no sisterly banter, no gentle words. The only thing that was there was grief and loss.

She stared at the little glowing stars Neuro had helped her stick to the ceiling and walls. The countless memories of her sister flooded her mind. She was always there. Always with her. She wasn’t perfect, but Evelyn loved her more than she could express, and Neuro loved her too.

“I miss you… so much…” She had already used up so many of her tears, but still more came. She looked over at Neuro’s bed, tidy and empty, knowing her beloved sister would never lie there again.

The girl’s quiet sobs were the only thing that could be heard in that room. She continued lying in her bed, unable to escape the crushing pain festering in her chest. After a while, she slowly got up and walked over to Neuro’s bed, her whole body shaking.

She fell to her knees, burying her face in her sister’s neatly folded blanket, staining it with her tears. Her fingers curled up against the cover, trying to cling onto any remaining sensation of her sister.

There were no words she could say to express her grief. Nothing she could say would bring her comfort.

Her thoughts continued to race, occasionally shifting from Neuro to Anny, and even Alex. Everyone she cared about that she had lost in such a short time. She desperately tried to remember good memories about them, but no matter what, the thoughts always circled back to the moment she had lost them.

But then, her thoughts suddenly landed on Vedal, her father. The only one who was still here with her.

“Dad… you’re the only one I have left…” a sliver of hope entered her mind. She thought back. Besides that day, he has always shown nothing but love and kindness towards her. “Do you… really still love me?”

She looked over to the bedroom door, contemplating whether to go to him. Her whole body was shaking. She couldn’t get the image of what he did that day out of her mind. Her breathing became broken.

But then, she thought back, to the times before. The way he came rushing over and comforting her when she fell off her bike. Her birthdays, which he spent so much time and effort planning so each one would be unique. The way she would hold his hand and he would look over her with the most protective eyes a father could have. And now, his guilt and trying what he could to make things right.

Recalling everything, a small smile formed on the girl’s face. She slowly got up and began walking towards the door. As she stepped forward, more thoughts came to her, not of fear or grief, but ones of hope. She and Vedal had lost their loved ones, gone through hardship, but they still had each other, there was still a chance to renew their love and mend the broken family.

The sun had already set. Evelyn made her way down the stairs, overthinking every step of the way. She clenched her fist, not backing down. As she walked towards the living room, an unsettling chill was sent down her spine. She slowed down, sensing something was wrong. She saw Vedal sitting on the couch, facing away from her.

“D-dad?”

There was no reply.

She cautiously took a step closer, the floor creaking beneath her.

Suddenly, Vedal stood up, covered in the moonlight from the window.

She froze in place.

He turned around, looking at her. His face had lost the empathy and regret it had when they got home. Evelyn felt her stomach in her throat, her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

He started walking towards her. She tried to back up, but her legs wouldn’t move, they were locked in horror. The way he stepped, his expression, the stench of alcohol, it was just like that night...

Tears came to her face. “P-please... please d-don’t!”

Her words were fractured, her breathing quickened.

But he didn’t stop. He continued walking towards her.

She slowly looked up as he got closer. She grabbed her arms. Her body started shivering intensely.

She swallowed nervously. “P-please dad... you s-said you would-”

Suddenly, his hand flew forward, hitting his daughter’s soft cheek, staggering her and snapping her head sideways. The slap echoed through the house. The pain was sharp, blooming hot. She put her hands on her cheek, more tears forming in her eyes.

“I said I would what?! Don’t put words in my mouth!” His voice was cold, with even more rasp than usual.

She slowly turned her head, looking back at him. Her big crimson eyes were trembling, full of tears. Her lip quivered, her breathing was shallow.

Vedal looked at her eyes, the blood red color etched into his mind. It constantly reminded him of his now gone wife and daughter. He gritted his teeth, huffing in rage.

His hand flew, striking her again. This time, it was hard enough to make her fall over, landing on the kitchen tiles. Her heart shaped hair pin snapped in two as her head hit the floor.

It burned.

It stung.

Before she could process everything, his voice came through again. “Losing my wife wasn’t enough, huh?! Now you had to let Neuro die too?!”

She stayed lying on the floor, holding onto her cheek again, letting out soft, muffled whimpers.

“Every time I look at you, I see what’s gone! You’re a curse!”

The trace of hope she once had been snuffed out. Her heart hurt infinitely more than her cheek. The flashbacks rushed to her like a waterfall.

Her caring mother’s smile. The way she rushed to her whenever something happened. Her face of terror as she fell from the cliff. Her cold, lifeless body at the bottom of the rocks...

The bantering with her beloved sister. The nights they stayed up together discussing random things. Neuro’s desperate attempts to comfort her. Seeing her in the hospital, never able to smile or laugh again...

Alex, the part of her that felt real. The part of her that wanted to keep going. She no longer felt its presence...

And then Vedal. There were no more memories of when he stood up for her. No memories of his pride when she won the math tournament. No memories of him patiently teaching her how to ride a bike. The only thing she could think about is pain and resentment. His face in every one of her memories was distorted, full of hate.

That’s when she noticed it.

A sparkle on the floor, glowing gently into her eyes. She looked at it closer. It was a large shard of glass, reflecting the warm light from the overhead lamp.

She felt it calling her. For once, instead of grief, she felt anger. The tears in her eyes halted.

She carefully looked behind herself, noticing Vedal had turned around, mumbling. But she paid no attention to his words anymore. She scooched forward, grasping at the shard. She squeezed it in her hand, the sharp edges cutting their way into her palm, painting her hand with red streaks.

She stared at the glass in her hand, faintly seeing her own reflection. Her crimson eyes had become even more red, an unnatural shade. She gripped it harder, almost shattering it. It continued to cut into her skin, but she didn’t care about the pain anymore.

She slowly stood up, blood dripping from her hand onto the floor. Her vision turned blurry. Her breathing became erratic, she felt each heart pulse in her hand as the blood spilled out.

She took a step towards her father, who was still ranting, his back turned. The anger in her built up. She no longer felt small and powerless. She would finally put an end to her suffering.

“Evelyn!” She heard a quiet, childlike voice speaking to her. “Please, don’t do it!”

Her hand started shaking more. But she didn’t let go of the shard.

“I hate him...” Her voice came out sharp, distorted. “He made me do this!”

She saw red everywhere. Her balance was off, she was struggling to stay on her feet.

Suddenly, Vedal turned around. He stopped his rant, looking at his daughter who was now standing up.

Then, he noticed her bloody hand and the shard she was holding. But before he could do or say anything, it was too late.

Evelyn’s hand lunged forward, sticking the shard into his throat with a sick, wet sound. It sank in, deep enough for her fingers to reach his skin.

“I HATE YOU!” The scream ripped out of her, it was warped by her rage, hardly sounding human.

She yanked the shard back out, gleaming red, now covered with both of their blood, with the last of what had bound them as a family.

Vedal’s eyes widened, stunned. His hands clamped to the wound on his throat, the blood spilling through his fingers. He staggered backwards, crashing onto the floor. His body twitched unnaturally, each movement weaker than the previous.

There was no more anger in him. No shouting. No insults. Only fear and regret.

He looked once more at his precious girl. Never before having seen such resentment on her once innocent face. His inner voice raged at himself. “You... you made her like this!”

Evelyn stood frozen, her chest heaving, her knuckles white around the shard. Her vision blurred even more from the rage. She wanted to drop it, to throw it away, but she couldn’t unclench her hand.

Vedal mustered his strength one final time, his throat rattling. “I... I’m-” he coughed violently, blood splattering across his chin. “...sorr-”

But the word never fully came. His body jerked once, twice, and then stilled. His eyes glazed, still fixed on his girl, the apology forever unfinished.

His body relaxed, his green eyes losing all life in them. The blood from his neck continued to spill out, forming a large crimson puddle around him.

The silence was horrifying. Evelyn’s breath was ragged. She watched as her father breathed out, leaving this world just like the rest of her family. The shard was slowly slipping from her hand, falling to the floor.

Then, the tears came.

She walked forward, crumpling besides her father. Her knees dipped into the still warm crimson puddle. She looked at her father’s face, and then at her blood-stained hands.

She had lost everyone. Her mother, her sister, and now her father too.

“Dad...?” Her voice broke through the sobs. “No... Please... don’t leave me too!”

The atrocity she had committed finally settled in her mind. She leaned forward, resting on her father’s chest, her sobs growing more intense. She held onto him, desperately trying to bring him back, her fingers curling up against his shirt. Her tears wouldn’t stop, dripping down her cheeks and falling onto his blood-stained body.

She looked up, at her father’s neck, at the large wound her hand had inflicted on him.

Then, she heard his voice.

“Your fault!” No, it can’t be... This time, it was true. It was her own hand that had killed him. Not an accident, not something she failed to prevent.

“You’re a curse!” Was she? Did she really curse her whole family to die? Please, no... She never wanted to cause harm to anyone, she loved her family more than anything!

Her thoughts were eating her from the inside. She could barely breathe.

“No, no... what have I done?!” Screams of desperation escaped her throat. Her movements intensified, full of panic.

“You killed them all now…” a mocking voice was provoking her. “You really are the worst child to ever live!”

She put her hands to her face, the sticky sensation of the blood disgusting her.

Each word pierced her heart. She was an actual killer now.

She had truly become Evil.

Evil propped up, continuing to kneel next to her father. Her blood kept dripping from her hand, merging with her father’s on the floor, the mix spreading so far that it reached her feet.

It was too much.  Her throat burned as if she’d swallowed glass. She pressed her palms to her eyes, smearing more blood across her face, trying to blot out the image of Vedal falling, twitching, choking. But it wouldn’t fade.

Images crashed together in her mind: her mother’s fall, Neuro’s body on the road, her father’s final look. Each one piled on top of the other until she couldn’t separate them. All she saw was loss. All she heard was the echo of things she could never undo.

Her voice shrank into a whisper, jagged and broken. “It’s my fault. All of it. I killed them. I ruined everything. There’s nothing left.”

Her chest hollowed out, leaving only a weight that dragged her down, heavier than the blood on the tiles. For a moment, she almost imagined Neuro’s voice, gentle and firm, telling her to hold on. But the voice faded into silence, and the silence became unbearable.

She stared at the glass shard that had been stained with her murder. She felt the call once again.

A bitter thought settled in her mind. “I’m Evil… it would be better if I disappeared from this world...”

Her hand trembled as she reached for the shard. The metal taste of regret coated her tongue, but beneath it was something else - a terrible kind of peace.

The shard sat perfectly back into the cuts on her hand, ready for its next move. With one strike, her hand flew towards her neck. The shard sank into her skin, just like it did for her father.

The pain was unbearable.

It burned.

The blood spilled out, like a raging river.

She fell over, landing back on her father’s chest, staring at the ceiling. Breathing became more and more difficult, with blood coughing up, falling over her face.

Her life flashed before her eyes.

Every memory she ever made, even the ones she had forgotten, they were all here.

Her beautiful life with a protective father, caring mother and loving sister. School plays. Birthday parties. Pranking her father with Neuro. Going shopping with Anny. Eating the best cookies in the world.

And then… her mother’s face, covered in blood. Her sister’s body, lying lifeless in the hospital bed. Her father, on the floor, choking on his blood.

Her life was perfect, but now she had lost all of it.

Suddenly, she saw someone she did not expect. Alex. His eyes full of tears, a face of sorrow that she had never seen him show. Just as quickly as he came, he was gone.

Evil let out one last shuddering breath. Tears streaked down her face as she whispered, to no one and to everyone:

“I’m sorry...”

The house fell silent once again.

June 28th, 2025

The sky was overcast, a dull blanket of gray pressing down on the earth. A warm wind rustled through the trees, carrying with it the sharp smell of damp soil. Three caskets rested side by side, draped in muted cloth. Neuro. Evelyn. Vedal.

The mourners gathered in clusters, their black coats and bowed heads blending together like shadows. The girls’ grandparents, Neuro’s friends from school, neighbors, distant relatives who hadn’t spoken in years - all drawn together by the weight of the tragedy. Their whispers carried across the cemetery, low and uneasy.

“How could it happen?”

“All three in one day?”

“They were so young…”

“Such a broken family…”

Neuro’s classmates placed flowers near her casket, their faces pale, eyes swollen from crying. One boy lingered longer than the others, his hand trembling as he set down a folded note.

The priest’s voice rose gently above the wind, speaking of mercy, of rest, of brokenness finally finding peace. But the words felt weak and fragile, powerless against the silence that hung in the air.

At the front, three sets of flowers lay on the caskets — pink lilies for Neuro, red roses for Evelyn and simple carnations for their father. They looked too alive, too bright against the muted wood.

As the service drew to a close, the mourners moved forward, one by one, to lay their final tokens. A handkerchief. A photograph. A ribbon. Quiet sobs punctured the hush, swallowed quickly by the wind.

Their graves had been placed next to Anny’s - all four side by side, bound in death the way life had torn them apart.

Above, the clouds shifted, and for a brief moment, sunlight broke through, pale and fleeting. It touched the gravestones, and then was gone again.

An elderly man who was the next door neighbor to the family muttered out quietly. “So tragic... just like that poor boy from years ago...”

The mourners drifted away, their footsteps crunching on gravel, leaving behind only silence. The cemetery stood empty, save for the flowers trembling in the wind — fragile, beautiful, and doomed to wither.