It was evening. Sara sat at her study table, books spread out in front of her, trying hard to concentrate. But her mind kept drifting.
She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier that day when she was walking home.
She twirled a pencil between her fingers and tapped the table rhythmically with the other hand, like she was running some mental investigation of her own.
Sara had a habit of walking through the park to clear her mind. She loved watching the little kids play—running around, laughing freely.
But today, as she was returning home, she bumped into a stranger. Her song diary fell to the ground. As she bent to pick it up, the man crouched down beside her and handed it to her.
She looked up.
"T-Thank you…"
That's all she could manage. The words barely made it out of her mouth.
"You're welcome, pretty lady,"the stranger smiled.
But the moment didn't end there.
Now, hours later, Sara sat lost in thought. That man kept playing on a loop in her mind. Then, a voice echoed from within—like a whisper inside her head:
"What happened?"
Sara knew these echoes well.
She was used to silent conversations with herself.
"It's just… something felt off about that guy,"she replied to the voice in her head.
It wasn't just a hunch. She couldn't get the tattoo on his arm out of her mind.
"I go to that park almost every day,"she continued,"and I've never seen him before. Plus, he was… different. Tall, well-built—but he had this snake-like tattoo on his arm. And he was wearing sunglasses… in the evening."
She was overthinking, she knew that. But she couldn't help it.
Another voice echoed—this one more assertive.It was Layall, her other self:
"What about the tattoo?"
"I don't know. I think I've seen it somewhere before… but I can't remember where,"Sara said slowly."It looked like a snake. I didn't see it clearly. His shirt was covering half his arm."
Layall whispered again:
"Then stop overthinking. He's a nobody. Focus on your studies."
Sara let out a long breath.
"Yeah… my last paper's tomorrow. I should really get my head back in the game."
She buried herself in her notes again.
These days, Layall had become a quiet companion. Sara didn't have to worry about cleaning the room anymore. Sometimes, she didn't even bother showering. Layall took care of everything.
Sara knew this was a disorder—DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder. But thanks to her other self, she didn't feel quite so alone anymore.
Sure, Layall was her. But as long as life felt normal, Sara was happy not to dig too deep into the truth.
For now, she focused on her textbook again.
After a while, she got hungry.
She put her pencil down and was just about to get up when—
"No, Sara. You just had two cups of noodles five minutes ago."
Layall's voice rang gently in her head.
Sara sat back down silently.
Now drowsiness was setting in. The window was open, letting in a soft, cool breeze that brushed across her face.
Still holding her highlighter, Sara looked up at the moon.
It was a waning crescent, but even with its broken form, the moon shone brightly.
"So many craters… and it still glows,"she thought, gazing upward,"Must be exhausting… shining with someone else's light."
She chuckled at her own poetic thought.
Her brain was clearly refusing to focus tonight. Maybe it was the thrill of her final paper… or maybe the sadness of something ending.
She looked at the study lamp, her vision starting to blur.
Her fingers kept rotating the same highlighter from ten different angles… until they finally gave up.
Just five minutes,she thought.I'll just rest my eyes for five minutes.
She glanced at the clock: 11:59 PM.
And closed her eyes.
A wave of fatigue washed over her.
Before she could have a second thought, her hand stilled against the desk—and Sara, who could win any sleeping contest in the world, once again slipped into her own realm of dreams.
Her hair, resting on her shoulders, lifted gently in the breeze, dancing lightly across her face. The moonlight fell directly on her soft features, making her look like a peaceful little fairy.
The breeze flipped through the pages of her notes, scattering them across the table.
Then—Ding.
A soft reminder broke the silence.
Her phone screen lit up:
12:00 AM — Last paper today 🎉
Sara stirred.
A smile crept onto her sleepy face.Her eyes opened—there was a new kind of glow in them now.
She sat up straight, rolled her shoulders, cracked her knuckles, stretched her fingers—and took a deep breath.
The wind stopped.
The papers settled.
She picked up her pen, flipped to a fresh page, grabbed the highlighter.
"Rest well, Cherry,"she whispered to herself,"Now it's time for some action."
She started highlighting the key lines.
The study lamp flickered—just once.
Then returned to its steady, glowing state.
__________________________________________________________________________________>>>>>>
It was 10 a.m. in Austin. Sitting in the hospital cafeteria, he didn't know whether he was eating breakfast or just staring at it. He was lost in thought. Still wearing the same jeans, he had changed three t-shirts already. Wrinkles had settled on his face, and the dark circles under his eyes revealed he hadn't slept in days. His eyes were lifeless—he looked like he was staring off into some distant space.
This was Zero.
Completely unaware that the coffee and breakfast in front of him had been sitting there for over half an hour—now cold as ice. From afar, anyone might've mistaken him for a statue.
Then, a little girl's voice broke his trance.
"Daddy no, I want to go to mummy! I want to, I want to, please let me go!"
Zero turned to see her. A tiny princess with curly hair and hazel eyes was busy waging war against her dad.
"My dear, mummy has gone to get a surprise for us. She'll be back soon, don't cry now. Come on, be good and go with grandma," her father said, doing his best to calm her down.
"Really, Daddy? What surprise?" She who had been crying moments ago now broke into a bright smile.
"Uhh… a little prince! She's bringing home a baby boy who'll play with you. But you have to promise not to trouble mummy and to take care of her, okay?"
Holding a tray with medicines and other things, the man—who clearly looked worried—was doing his best to explain to his daughter.
"Really, Daddy? Okay, I promise! I'll go with Grandma now. But you have to come home early, okay? Bye, Daddy!"
The little doll gave her father a hug with her tiny arms, then held her grandma's hand and climbed into the car.
Zero had watched the whole scene unfold—and couldn't help but smile.
Children's lives are so simple, aren't they?
They get sad quickly, and then just as quickly, they smile again. The biggest sorrow in their world is a broken toy—and the greatest joy is getting it back. These fragile, innocent little ones have no idea about the harsh truths of life.
Zero sighed.
He looked down at his breakfast—long since spoiled. Taking a deep breath, he finished the cold meal in ten minutes, then got up.
Moments later, he was in his mother's hospital room.
She had regained consciousness and had been moved to a general ward. The accident had left her lower body partially paralyzed. His father was stable, but still not out of danger. The doctors said his heart rate and blood pressure were still not returning to safe levels.
Now, Zero was feeding breakfast to his mother. Silence filled the room.
Zero didn't know what to say now that his mother was awake.
His feelings were already far too complicated…
And his mother… was silent too.
_____________________________________________________________________>>>>
Today was Sara's last exam.
She was sitting in the examination hall, busy writing, when Sam walked in—breathing hard just like every other time.
"I... I'm sorry, sir. I'm late again…" he said, giving the invigilator an apologetic look. But the invigilator simply glared at him, handed him the paper with a stare that clearly said: "Go take your seat, or I'll kill you."
Sam quietly walked to his seat. Every student in the hall watched the little drama unfold with interest. By now, it had become routine—from the first exam to the last, he had traveled the journey from surprisingly late to unsurprisingly late.
He glanced at the question paper.
"Thank God, I know about 75.02% of this," he thought, and started writing.
Later that day, the exam had ended. Sam was mentally exhausted. Like always, he went to the caféteria and ordered an Americano, but this time he didn't sit down. Instead, sipping his coffee, he walked out of the university cafeteria.
That's when he saw her—Sara—walking alone, lost in her own world.
It was the last day of university, their final paper, and Sara's mind was flooded with thoughts. She glanced around—some students were celebrating the end of exams, others were bidding each other farewell, and some were already planning parties.
With a bag slung over one shoulder, she walked down the corridor. Sam quietly fell into step beside her.
"Hey Sara, how are you?" he asked.
She looked at him. "Hey..." That's all she could say.
She simply continued walking beside him, silent. Sam took small sips from his coffee.
"So... last day," Sara said softly.
Sam looked at her, and for a moment, he too seemed a little sad."Yeah... last day. After this, our paths will part," he replied, a shadow in his voice.
"I wish Alexa and Zero were here with us too. Honestly, in these past two years, I've made the best friends of my life, Sam," Sara said.
Sam looked at her and smiled."Heh… I wish," he whispered, eyes turned toward the sky, as if searching for something hidden.
"What will you do now?" she asked.
"Nothing, I guess. I'll probably stay here. I always wanted to open a coffee shop, to be honest. Studying economics… that was my dad's dream, not mine," Sam said, a trace of emptiness in his voice.
Sara looked at him."Wow. Well, good luck, Sam. You have all my best wishes," she smiled.
By then, they had reached the university gate. As they stepped outside, a black car was waiting for them. A graceful man stood beside it.
"Oh… Mr. Li," Sara said as she noticed Li Cheng. She was surprised—he really was that punctual.
She looked at Sam."I'm going to visit Alexa, to say goodbye. Do you want to come too?"
"Yeah, let's go."
They approached the car.
"Hello, Ms. Sara," Li Cheng stood straight as he greeted her. But the moment he noticed Sam beside her, his expression shifted subtly.
Sara, picking up on the change in his demeanor, quickly said,"He's Sam—my friend and classmate. We're both going to see Alexa."
Li Cheng nodded politely."Okay, Ms. Sara, as you wish."
Sam watched the exchange silently, a little stunned.He was beginning to wonder just how many different sides Sara had… but he didn't dare ask anything.
Quietly, he got into the car.
On the way, they stopped so Sara could buy a bouquet of white and pink roses. Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in front of the hospital.
Inside Alexa's ward, the three of them entered together.
Sara placed the bouquet gently on the side table, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and stepped closer.
"Alexa… how are you? I'm leaving now… The time I spent with you—it was beautiful. Thank you… Get well soon."
Even though she didn't want to, tears filled her eyes.
Alexa had been her best friend. The one who understood her more than anyone.
Sara quietly left the room.
Li Cheng had watched everything silently.Sam just stood there—unsure of what to say.
Later, in the car again, they dropped Sara at her dorm.
Sam said his goodbyes and left from there, feeling it would be inappropriate to intrude any further—he didn't want to disturb Sara's privacy.
Sara entered the room. There was still a lot to do.
One look around, and she knew that the "half hour" Li Cheng had given her wasn't going to be enough.
After pacing the room for five minutes, she finally took a deep breath.
"Fine… Lyall, can you come?"
The moment she spoke, her eyes blinked—and reopened with a different kind of smile.
"As you wish, Cherry," Lyall replied.
Within 25 minutes, all the essentials were packed.
She stepped outside. "Here it is…"
Li Cheng was standing in front of the car.
Lyall stopped.
Actually—she froze.
She couldn't stop staring at him.
Li Cheng, who had been absentmindedly tossing his car keys from one hand to another while glancing around, was simply passing time.
Lyall scanned him from head to toe… and spent the next five minutes just looking at him.
Finally, Li Cheng noticed her stare and turned toward her.
"Oh, Ms. Sara—you're here. Please give me your luggage and take a seat in the car."
He stepped forward.
Lyall, still mesmerized, stepped back instinctively.
Li Cheng noticed her strange reaction.
"Are you okay, Ms. Sara?"
His voice echoed in her ears.[Sara… Sara…]
"Yes. Sara, come out."
And in the next second, it was Sara again.
She blinked at Li Cheng with wide eyes, then at her own luggage… and then at herself. It took her a moment to realize what had just happened.
She quickly composed herself.
"Ah—Mr. Li, here it is, please," she said with a smile, handing him the luggage and slipping into the car.
Li Cheng placed the bags in the trunk, then quietly took the driver's seat.
"Shall we go, Ms. Sara?" he asked politely.
"Yes."
And in the next moment, the car sped off down the road.
_____________________________________________________________________________>>>>
Sam had barely said goodbye to Sara at the dorm when he found himself aimlessly walking the streets. He didn't want to go home. He felt profoundly lonely.
Zero had left first, and not once had he messaged Sam since. For a whole week, Sam had been checking his phone so obsessively, you'd think he was getting paid for it—he'd be a millionaire by now if that were the case.
He walked slowly along the edge of the road, lost in his thoughts, kicking a little stone ahead of him with his shoe, playing absentmindedly. Just then, he heard Zero's lively voice whisper close to his ear:
"Hey Sam, come on. Let's race. Let's see whose stone goes farther."
Sam turned around abruptly—but the street behind him was empty. Completely empty. Not a soul in sight.
The smile that had crept onto his lips vanished. The light that flickered briefly in his eyes disappeared just as quickly.
"Am I imagining things… or what?"
The disappointment that followed hit him harder than he expected. He lowered his head and turned around again, eyes falling on the same little stone he'd been dragging along unknowingly. He stared at it for a while.
Zero used to say that every time.
And Sam's first reply always was:
"Are you still a kid, Zero? I'm not racing. I'm walking ahead."
The cold noon wind sent a chill through him, making him shiver. Still staring at the stone, Sam finally smiled and whispered softly,
"Let's race…"
He chuckled, kicked the stone forward, and kept playing with it until he reached home.
It took him another hour to get there. He was tired now.
Seeing the house, his face fell again.
"Back again… to this little nest of memories."
He stepped forward—then stopped. After a pause, he stepped back.
He turned around and started walking again—but this time, toward Zero's house.
Sam didn't have keys to Zero's place, but he knew exactly where to look. He went up to the porch, moved one of the flowerpots to the side, and sure enough—there they were. The keys.
As he picked them up, Zero's voice echoed in his ears again:
"Zero always leaves an option for thieves."
Sam laughed.
"And this time, the thief is Sam," he said, replacing the pot and unlocking the door.
The moment he turned on the lights, Sam's eyes widened.
"Fuck…"
The whole place was a mess. As if Zero had torn it apart searching for his own house papers.
Sheets were scattered across the floor, wardrobe doors hung open, drawers in the study table were half-pulled, the kitchen light was on, and the sound of dripping water echoed from the bathroom.
He walked over and saw the bathtub tap was still running. It was full—brimming over. The water had started spreading across the bathroom floor.
"Gosh, Zero… what kind of creature are you? Even when you're not around, you never stop giving me anxiety."
Sam sighed, pushed up his sleeves, rolled his jeans up to his knees, and got to work.
Two hours later, he had finally tamed the semi-human's wild home.
He stood in the center of the room, hands on his hips, inspecting the cleaned-up space with pride. Then crouched, ran a finger across the floor—producing a screech—and smiled.
"Sam is a cleaning master, after all."
Just then, his stomach growled. Loudly.
He headed to the kitchen and searched through the cupboards—only to find one lonely pack of cup noodles.
"Seriously, Zero? I wonder how many times you've actually cooked in this house... rascal."
At that exact moment, in a hospital far away, Zero sneezed mid-sip of water.
"Who's badmouthing me?"That was all he could think.
Back at the house, Sam quickly made the cup noodles and turned on the TV to find a movie.
But nothing good came up.
Then he remembered—Zero always kept a blue USB in his study drawer, one that he claimed was "not for little kids" to see.
Sam headed straight to the study.
It was sparsely used. A few neatly arranged books, a pencil box filled with fancy fountain pens, an unopened box of a table lamp, and—tucked into one corner—a framed photo of him and Zero from their school graduation.
You could tell this place didn't belong to its owner either. In two years, it looked like Zero hadn't even touched those books. He always used Sam's notes instead.
Sam picked up the frame and stared at it for a while. Then he opened the drawer.
There it was.
Right on top.
As if Zero had always known Sam would come looking for it.
He smiled and walked back to the lounge, USB in hand, plugged it in—and boom.
A full list of web series and movies appeared. Jackpot.
He grabbed a blanket, turned off the lights, and settled down with a plan to fall asleep watching something good.
Scrolling through the list, he found one of Zero's favorites:"Call Me by Your Name."
He clicked play.Blanket on.Movie started.
But tonight…he wasn't watching it to fall asleep.
____________________________________________________________________>>>>>
After nearly thirteen hours of floating above oceans, clouds, and forgotten time zones, the plane finally descended. The moment the cabin doors opened, a different kind of air hit her—cooler, drier, and somehow heavier. Sara stepped out of the airport and set foot on her homeland for the first time in years.
It didn't feel like a return. It felt like entering a forgotten chapter of a book she never finished reading.
Even after a 13-hour flight, it still felt like the same afternoon. Time had bent itself backward for her—just like her life.
She stood still for a moment at the exit doors, dragging her suitcase behind her as if it carried more than just clothes—memories maybe, or grief that hadn't aged with her.
Behind her, Li Cheng rolled his sleeves and adjusted his watch, looking completely unfazed by the hours gone. "Are you alright, Ms. Sara?"
Sara blinked. "Yes. Just... remembering."
As soon as they exited the airport, another black SUV was already parked ahead of them. Li Cheng looked at Sara. Understanding the gesture, Sara silently handed him her suitcase and opened the car door, getting in. Within minutes, the car was on the road. A complete silence filled the vehicle, which Sara finally broke.
"Mr. Li—""Yes, Ms. Sara, do you need anything?" he replied."No... Do you know my mom's house? I mean, obviously my dad's place?"
Even Sara herself was confused by what exactly she had just said. But Li Cheng gave a one-word reply:"Sure, Ms. Sara."
He didn't even ask why she wanted to go there. Of course, Sara didn't feel the need to explain either.Soon, the car was parked outside Sara's house. As she stepped out, Li Cheng got out too and brought her suitcase.
"It's okay, Mr. Li. Thank you so much. I'll call you if I need something," she smiled and took the suitcase from him.
Li Cheng accepted her words without question, got back in the car, and drove away—who knows where.Sara stood at the entrance of her house, suitcase in hand. So many emotions stirred inside her—complicated ones.
She stepped forward and just as she was about to open the main gate, a guard stopped her.
"Excuse me, madam, strangers are not allowed."
Sara's mind jolted at the word "strangers." A flood of thoughts surged through her all at once.
"What the hell did you just say? You're stopping me from entering my own house, Mister?" she snapped.
"Sorry ma'am, but we don't know you," the guard replied.
Sara realized this must be a new guard—she had never seen him before.
"Let me in. I'm the daughter of Mr. Clinton," she said, holding back her anger.
Just then, a voice came from behind:
"Hey Moreno, let her in. She's Mr. Clinton's eldest daughter. Don't stop her."
At that, the guard—whose name was apparently Moreno—straightened up immediately.
"Sorry, sorry ma'am. I didn't know. I'm sorry. Please come in."
And after all that drama, Sara was finally allowed to enter her own house.Dragging her suitcase behind her, she walked across the large lawn. Standing in the middle, she stared at the door that led inside.
So many memories and thoughts circled in her mind.
Suddenly, the door opened—and a much younger version of herself ran out playing with her siblings, Max and Hazel chasing after her. She laughed and called to them:"Catch me if you can!"
A smile appeared on present-day Sara's face.
She looked again and saw another version of herself starting her bike, wearing a leather jacket, short hair, and a cigarette between her lips. She was angry.She turned her gaze again and saw her beloved mother holding a suitcase, walking out of the house. Sixteen-year-old Sara held her hand, crying with tears in her eyes.
"Mom, please don't go…"
Sara's ears echoed with voices, like shadows dancing around her.
"You're nothing, Sara… just get out of my house… I only have two children… you're selfish… emotionless… you don't even have a heart… get out of my house… Yes, Sara is like a scorpion—she only knows how to sting…"
Sara suddenly covered her ears with her hands.
This was perhaps never a place she could live in with happiness.She had spent so much time in the hospital, and not once had her family asked what had happened to her.
Her so-called "lovely mom" used to make so many calls—yet never called then.
Sara's heart was full—with hatred, grief, and rage.She regretted her decision.
"Why did I come here? Mr. Li's already gone too… Okay. I'll just take my stuff and leave."
Thinking that, she struggled to lift her foot forward.
And she moved ahead…
To Be Continued...