Seeing that Olivia was having a headache from our barrage of questions, we decided to let her be. So we left her room and walked into the study. I went straight to the bar, grabbed a bottle of dry gin, and poured myself a drink.
Did she never open them?
My heart raced—confused and heavy.
But… that couldn't be right.
"I… I got a response from her," I said quietly, my voice rough with uncertainty.
Levi turned to me, his eyes wide. "Me too," he said. "In fact, I got a response from her just two hours after we gave her the gifts."
Louis nodded slowly. "Same here. And her response made it clear she saw my gift."
We all went quiet again.
That didn't make sense.
If she never opened the gifts… how did she respond to us?
Louis rubbed his forehead. "Maybe her memory really is messed up," he muttered. "We should remember, she's not the same. Her memory isn't stable anymore."
But I shook my head firmly. "No. That's not it."
Levi spoke too, sounding just as sure. "She remembered the wrapping. The exact colors. Down to the ribbons."
"She didn't guess," I added, thinking aloud.
Louis sighed. "She remembered it clearly. But… she said it was from Gabriel."
There was a long silence.
"She must've confused him with us," Levi said. "Maybe that's how her mind filled in the blank. We gave her those gifts. Not him."
I nodded slowly. That felt more real.
Louis still looked torn. "But… she said she lost her father that day," he said. "That's not true. He didn't die; he was arrested."
"Yeah. She might be wrong about that, but remember—he could have been hanged that day if Father hadn't intervened. Maybe her memory clung to that," Levi said.
Louis didn't respond.
I stared at the floor for a moment, then looked up.
"What was in them?" I asked suddenly. "Your gifts. What did you two give her?"
That question had been buried for years.
Ever since her fourteenth birthday, we'd all stopped sharing our ideas like we used to.
We used to plan it together, ever since Olivia turned eight. We'd each get her something and help wrap it. Sometimes we'd even compete over who got the best reaction from her.
But that year… that year was different.
We kept it secret. All three of us.
We refused to show each other.
Even I didn't let them see mine.
I looked at them now, hoping they'd finally say it.
But Louis glanced away. Levi's jaw tightened.
But I was more curious than ever.
What was in those boxes?
Night had fallen, but my mind refused to rest.
I tossed and turned in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to force myself into sleep. But it wouldn't come.
Too many thoughts. Too many memories.
I sighed deeply, dragging my palm over my face.
I sat up immediately, alert. My eyes flicked to the clock—it was well past midnight.
Another knock, slightly louder this time.
I slipped out of bed, walking over. Even before I touched the handle, I felt it—
I pulled the door open, and there she was.
Standing there in one of the oversized shirts she always liked, her hair messy from sleep. But what caught me off guard was her face.
Her lips parted like she wanted to speak, but nothing came out for a moment. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
Finally, in a quiet, broken voice, she said, "I had a dream."
I stepped aside, but she didn't walk in.
She just looked up at me, eyes wide and glassy.
"It was Gabriel…" she whispered. "He—he was killed."
I stared at her, trying to piece together a response. The dream clearly shook her—her body was still trembling slightly, and she looked pale, as if the nightmare had stolen the warmth from her skin.
But how was I supposed to explain this?
Because I knew, without a doubt, that Gabriel was alive.
And more than that—I knew there was no war.
But how was I supposed to explain this?
How do you tell someone that their mind is lying to them? That what they felt so deeply—what made them tremble —might not even be real?
How do I explain that her dream might not be a dream at all… or worse, that it might be a false memory in disguise?
I stepped closer, slowly, carefully.
"Olivia…" I said softly, my voice steady, "Gabriel's not—"
But I stopped myself.
I stepped aside gently, holding the door open.
"Come in," I said softly.
Her feet didn't move. Her eyes darted around the hallway, like she was afraid of something hiding in the shadows.
"Olivia," I said again, more firmly this time. "It's okay. You're safe."
She finally stepped in, slowly, like she wasn't sure if she should.
I closed the door behind her.
She stood there in the middle of my room, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her shoulders were still shaking a little.
I walked over to her and placed a hand on her back.
"I'll call tomorrow," I said. "I'll find out about Gabriel—just to be sure, alright?"
She looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes.
"Please do," she whispered. "I'm really scared."
I frowned. The fear in her voice wasn't just from a dream.
"You don't have to go back to your room," I said quietly. "Stay here tonight."
She blinked at me. "W-What?"
"Just sleep," I added quickly. "On the bed. With me. I promise—I won't touch you, Olivia."
She shook her head. "No… I—I can't. It's not right."
"I won't hurt you," I said softly. "You know that, right?"
She didn't answer at first. She looked away, chewing on her lower lip. This text is hosted at N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
Then, slowly, she nodded.