Chapter 37

With a sad look, he stares at the window, tightening his lips to keep from crying. Eventually, he lowers his face and hides it in his hands. He is heartbroken and can't accept what kind of person he really is. He was born in the place he hates the most. Furthermore, he grew up among people who hurt his friends.... he belongs to that group, and just like them, he is a monster.

Traumatic events contributed to the boy's erasure from his memory.

- Oliver, will you tell me what's going on? What have you remembered that makes you so sad? - Sara puts her hand on his shoulder and looks at him thoughtfully.

- Do you promise not to move away from me?

- I will never do that. I know what kind of person you are, and even the worst truth won't change that," she confesses, and then she lifts her face and plunges a despairing look into it. - What's going on?

- I... have killed my parents in the past. I watched them die.

She gets breathless, but tries not to show from herself how frightened she is by these words.

Eight years earlier.

A ten-year-old boy is confronted by a man with an unfriendly face, whose head is adorned with a cap with a swastika sign. The boy swallows his saliva harder and with frightened eyes looks at the man, who threatens him with a stern gaze.

- You lied to me," he speaks, and the child sighs anxiously. Tears appear in his eyes. - I will give you one last chance. Tell me the truth, where are your parents?

- I don't know.

The man grabs him by the hair and violently tilts his head back, causing him pain.

- Do you want to kill them? Is that what you want?

- I'm trying to save them," he announces in a trembling voice. His eyes turn to tears. - I'd rather die than tell you where my family is hiding!

- Damn puppy! - he yells, pushing him to the ground. - If you don't tell me where your parents are, you'll never see them again. Don't you understand that I'm trying to help them!

- The Lord wants to kill them. I know that. I'm not stupid.

- I'm trying to help them! - he shouts, then tightens his lips. He takes a deep breath and nervously improves the cap on his head. - This is my last chance to save their lives. I can help you escape from this guarded village.

- I do not trust you. I know that in this way you are trying to extract information from me to kill them. I will never allow it," he claims, clenching his fists tightly.

- So let them die, but then don't run to me crying and ask for help. Remember that, shithead!

Oliver springs to his feet and runs out of the abandoned building with all his speed. He heads across the meadow; breathing loudly, he looks over his shoulder, as if to make sure he is safe. And then he falls right into someone's arms. His eyes open wider as he spots a family friend.

He breathes a sigh of relief.

- Oliver, are you all right? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with your parents?

- You will help them, won't you? They are in danger. If they are caught.... they will die. A man tried to extract information from me, but I didn't write a word," he announces hastily, so the man crouches in front of him and puts his hands on his shoulders.

- Relax. Tell me first where your parents are, and I will take you to them and help you.

The boy nods his head. The man grabs his hand, and together they head to the place where the family is hiding. He is ten years old and doesn't realize that it is a friend who turns out to be his greatest enemy and decides to betray his parents. He frames them for murder and betrayal of their people.

For this, they face the death penalty.

With his eyes wide open, Oliver watches as they heartlessly shoot at his parents. He screams loudly and shrilly. Held by one of the soldiers, he throws himself in his arms and wishes he could do something.

It's too late.

Tears stream down his cheeks as he looks at the lifeless bodies of his loved ones.

He killed them. He betrayed his family.

*

He feels that his end is coming. Swamped in water, he has less and less strength in him. A man holds his head in an aquarium, not allowing him to get air. He is terrified because he is about to die.

He starts coughing when they take pity on him and give him a second chance.

- Where is your older brother? - Breathing loudly, he looks at the man sitting at the desk, who is peeling an apple with a knife. - This is your last chance.

- I will not tell you! - he shouts, trying to save Eric at all costs. - You are going to kill me anyway, since in your eyes my family are traitors!

The man forces a crooked smile.

- For such a young age, you're smart.

With a nod, he orders the soldier to water the kid. Oliver tightens his lips before his face is underwater. He knows that this time it's his end. No one can help him, but the most important thing for him is that his older brother is safe.

Oliver deserves to be punished because he killed his parents. He trusted the wrong man, even though he had the chance to help them.

- Erik! - screams desperately in his mind, fearing imminent death. - Forgive me, brother.

And then something unexpected happens. The boy falls to the ground, but he no longer has the strength in him to even lift an eyelid.

- Oliver! Open your eyes, please! - It's Eric's voice. He is sure of it. He came with a man whom Oliver did not trust before. - Brother, don't leave me.

He can perfectly hear the shots fired.

- There is a man who will help us get out of this cursed village. Be strong, please.

- Erik," he whispers quietly.

It is the last word he utters. The boy is tired. He falls asleep in his brother's lap. His mind erases the traumatic events from his memory. Oliver does not want to remember it. He wants to forget the past and who he is.

Present.

- Eric," he says in a despairing voice as Sara wipes tears from her cheeks. His story made her suffer along with him. - I didn't recognize my brother," he adds, hiding his face in his hands. - He came back to me. He is with me.

- It is," she confirms, hugging her face to his back. - Don't cry, Oliver. You were just a child. You trusted the wrong man. It's not your fault. You are the most wonderful person I know.

He cries. He lays his head on her shoulder.

- I come from such a terrible place. This is hard for me to bear. I am literally no different from those bastards.

- That's not true! - she denies quickly, closing her eyelids. - Just because you come from such a cruel place doesn't make you a Nazi. You have a bigger heart than me, Oliver. You were able to give your life for your brother, and now you can do it for me as well. Furthermore, you are a great man.

She looks at him closely while he lifts his face. He delves into her sad gaze, so she puts her hands to his cheeks.

- Stop telling yourself that you are a bad person, that you don't deserve love and no one will love you.... - Her heart breaks when she sees his pained look. - You have a brother by your side, who still loves you, and me. - She lowers her hands and embraces his hands. - I love you too, Oliver.

He opens his eyes wider. He sees how much they are glazing over. Furthermore, he doesn't believe her words.

- I will not leave you. We will get out of here, and you will finally feel how beautiful life can be.

He would never have expected that he would live to see the day when he would hear the most beautiful words from the girl he cares about most in the world. He never thought it would happen when he needed her support the most.

Furthermore, he smiles through tears. The girl reciprocates it. She sees how much joy she has brought him with this confession. He has been waiting for this... Oliver really has deep feelings for her. How could she be so blind before?

He requires love.

*

Laura returns to the room accompanied by Eric. Before they go inside, they both push their way through the threshold, acting like children. Eventually, the boy embraces her around the waist, for which he gets slapped. The girl sticks out her finger, warning him to keep his hands to himself. Although she enjoys spending time in his company more and more every day, it's only because he can bring a smile to her face. She can't afford to be in closer contact with him because her heart stopped beating with Simon's death. As for this time ... She certainly wouldn't be able to love anyone. And certainly not her older brother Oliver.

They both remain calm when their attention is caught by Oliver. He sits on the bed with his head lowered, burying his face in his hands. Sara, who is dozing by his side-strokes his back, looking sad.

With a movement of his lips, he tells Erik that the memories have returned. The boy is shocked. He looks at Oliver with concern, and just then he lifts his face.

- Brother... - whispers, then tightens his lips to hold back tears. - I'm sorry," he adds, and when Erik walks up to him and embraces him tightly, Oliver can't stand it. He starts crying like a baby.

With a motion of her hand, Sara tells her roommate that they should leave the room and allow them some privacy. As the girls close the door behind them, Erik crouches down across from his brother and smiles comfortingly at him.

- And what are you roaring about? You are not ten years old anymore," he announces, patting his hand. - I'll get you out of here. That's what I came for.

- What has happened to you during these eight years? How did I get to this place? - he asks in a voice hoarse from crying.

- When we escaped from the cursed village, some complications arose. We were separated. I left with the man who helped us, and you were taken by a psychologist. They had everything set up, and we were both supposed to be taken to the center, but things got complicated.

- How so?

- The man who helped us... they killed him. I ran away and coped on my own all these years, although I had contact with a psychologist. He helped me," he explains, squeezing his hands. - Someday I will tell you all about it. I'm sorry that I allowed you to be stuck in this hell, but I thought you would be safe here. You were in no danger from their side. You lost your memory, and the psychologist was a friend of our family. He protected you all these years.

- If you leave me this time too.... I won't forgive you," he announces, looking at him with sad eyes.

- As soon as we are freed from this hell, then we can start a new life. I promise you this.

*

The general leaves the office, and Alan nervously looks around the interior. He regrets that he doesn't have abilities like Sara and can't see ghosts. However, he knows that saying the name of the deceased will make the person appear before him.

- Simon, I know you are in contact with Sara. Help me this once. It's not for me, but for her and her friends who are in danger," he speaks to the walls, hoping the spirit will listen to him. - The general has taken the final step, and if I don't warn Sarah, they will all die later tonight. Help me, Simon. If you can hear me, please do it.

The 18-year-old looks around himself, as if hoping to see the dead boy somewhere, but he doesn't have this gift and doesn't suppose that Simon will actually show up at the office. He penetrates the wall. He moves toward the rooms, anxious to warn the girls. Furthermore, he cannot allow anything bad to happen to Laura. He wants to ensure her safety and make her leave safely.

They both stand in front of the room. Sara notices him, but cannot betray his presence in front of Laura. She must be careful.

- Is something wrong? - she asks, out of the corner of her eye, glancing at the brunette. The teenager looks surprised and only after a moment realizes that her roommate has seen a ghost. - Do you want to tell me something? - Simon can't talk to her, so she grabs her friend's hand and runs after him into the classroom.

Laura opens her eyes wider as the words begin to appear on the board.

He blanches with fear.

- Alan sent me here. He asked me to help you. Apparently, the General returned to the center and revealed that today was the final day. You are in danger. You, as well as the others. Furthermore, you must go into hiding. - Sara reads this aloud, looking anxiously at her roommate. - Does he want to kill us? - She shudders at the thought of it.

"Trust Alan, I think he wants to help you."

Sara rises from her chair, not intending to ponder these words any longer. She believes it.

- We have to run," she turns to her friend. An uninvited guest appears at the door. All the words disappear from the board, as if by magic.

Sara swallows her saliva nervously. She grabs Laura's hand.

- Where do you want to run to, sunshine? - he asks, and his eyes are full of such hatred and disgust that both teenagers begin to retreat backward. They are terrified. - Because I have unfinished business with you, and especially with you, granddaughter," he adds contemptuously. Her heart rises to her throat. Currently, the darkest scenarios flash before her eyes.

It's too late.