Past

  5 Years Ago

  England, United Kingdom

  Salisas Corp Building

  During the Early Dawn

  Several days had passed, and throughout all of them, sixteen-year-old Sasha remained in complete silence, immersed in the task of absorbing all the information they had uncovered from her mother's letter — the one addressed to her father.

  Beyond that, Sasha faced an emotional conflict that made her heart swing between opposing extremes, triggering multiple panic and anxiety attacks.

  Sasha could have called her brother, since they had grown much closer compared to the distance that existed between them for so many years since childhood.

  [Past — Sasha's Voice (Child, 5 Years Old)] Daddy, why didn't my brother come to my birthday this year? —

  However, she understood that doing so would only worsen the situation. Calling her brother, now that she knew the truth, could end up hurting him unintentionally with words born from her deeply troubled heart.

  Her heart carried a profound love for him, yet her mind still struggled to blame him for the incident that had unintentionally caused the greatest pain in both their lives.

  He had been, as a child, the one responsible for the loss of the woman they both loved most — whose love persisted even after her departure — their beloved mother, now among the stars.

  [Past — Sasha's Voice (Child, 6 Years Old)] Daddy, I miss my brother. I just wanted to play with him!! I don't care about presents, I just want my big brother, RIGHT NOOOW!!! —

  In many moments, Sasha began observing the city from above, spending entire nights contemplating the starry sky stretching over everything.

  In these moments of solitude, she searched for some kind of guidance coming from the stars, as if seeking a connection to her mother, who was now part of them.

  She wanted to understand how to handle that corrosive feeling — a force threatening to erode the love she carried for her brother.

  [Past — Sasha (Pre-teen, 12 Years Old)] I'm getting older, Dad. And I can see that you're keeping me away from my brother, Salin. If you have any reason to hate him, even if I don't understand it, just know that... —

  [Past — Sasha (Pre-teen, 12 Years Old)] ...He is my beloved brother and always will be, regardless of the dilemmas you face regarding him! No one is going to stop me from reaching my brother!! —

  Even without knowing the truth about the accident, he endured the entire turbulent journey having Sasha as his guiding light through so much darkness.

  He tried to reach her at any cost, avoiding confrontations with their father despite the anger he still felt for being driven away — and for Sasha being separated from her own brother.

  [Past — Father of Salin & Sasha] Forgive me, my daughter... I can't continue this vicious cycle against your brother. The past made me lose the most beautiful woman in the world, and after feeling that sensation of loss again... —

  [Past — Father of Salin & Sasha] I don't want to witness the two people she loved most departing for the stars. I'll try — I'll fight my own demons. I'll go after my son, but I need your guidance, my dear daughter... —

  In the blink of an eye, the scene shifts to Sasha sitting with her back against the glass, her head lowered between her knees, crying in silence as the battle inside her heart rages on.

  Two versions of her fought within her: one who loved her brother unconditionally, and the other who blamed him for their mother's death.

  All the house lights were turned off, and in the darkness the only illumination briefly bathing the hallway where Sasha sat came from the stars.

  They seemed to filter through the glass, creating a visual moment of Sasha crying with her head lowered, enveloped by darkness. The faint light still reached her back and part of her body.

  [(Present — Sasha, 14 Years Old — Melancholic & Tearful Thought) Big brother... (Deep breath)]

  As she recalled those moments, which stood out as the most beautiful in her memory, Sasha relived the time when she and her brother Salin watched a movie that told the story of two siblings united to save the world.

  On that day, a new meaning was breathed into the dream Sasha had always carried in her heart — the desire to emulate the strength and care her brother had shown.

  It was the aspiration to gain the ability not only to protect those she loved, but also to fill their lives with happiness, preventing even the smallest trace of sadness.

  [Past — Sasha (Child) — Cheerful & Confident Voice] Brother! Brother! When I grow up, I'm going to take care of you and make you laugh a lot, you big annoying brute!! [Playful laugh] —

  [Past — Salin (Child) — Confident & Playful Voice] And I promise to do exactly the same, because you, my little sister, are the number one annoying brat in this whole world!! [Joyful, happy laugh] —

  Another memory that stands out is of a stormy night. Exhausted, Sasha's parents had fallen into a deep sleep and didn't notice when she, cornered by thunder and lightning, yearned to curl up between them.

  The memories of the last time she tried to do that held her back, causing her to hesitate before seeking permission again.

  However, driven by the frightening context of the storm, Sasha gathered courage.

  Holding her beloved teddy bear, Suki, she crossed the mirrored hallways of their house, where flashes of lightning tore across the sky.

  And ran to her brother's room in search of refuge. A loud, nearby thunderclap made her recoil, seeking safety.

  [Sasha (Child) — Past] – [Trembling & Frightened Voice] ...Brother, I'm so scared. Can you stay with me during this storm? Both Suki and I are terrified. [Deep sigh] –

  [Salin (Child) — Past] – [Tired Yawn] ...Of course I will, little sister. Stay here with me, and I'll protect you, along with your teddy Suki... [Tender sigh] –

  The memories flowed like a kaleidoscope, portraying precious and genuine moments shared between the siblings.

  Every word and every laugh echoed within Sasha's heart, painting a vivid picture of love and unity in her mind.

  [Echoing voice of Salin (Child) — From The Past] Little sister... [Joyful sigh] –

  She realized that, despite time and circumstances, the bond between them remained unshaken—a steady, comforting light, even through the darkest moments.

  And then, as she closed her eyes, she gently lifted her head and rested the back of it against the glass behind her.

  [Echoing voice of Salin (Teenager) — From The Past] Little sister... [Joyful Sigh] –

  Tears still rolled down her face, revealing a weakened expression. Yet, even amid her visible suffering, her deeper emotions could be sensed through the gaze resting below her swollen, tear-tired eyes.

  Her eyes, after days of crying, seemed distant from reality—turning themselves toward the past.

  Not the past beside her mother, but rather the past beside her brother, before the separation that occurred when they were still children.

  Years went by, and they reconnected during adolescence, rekindling memories of happier days.

  Salin, in many moments, even when feeling anger toward their father, would try not to reveal that emotion in his sister's presence.

  At first, she struggled to understand that the man standing before her—older now—was her older brother, Salin, and not a complete stranger.

  [Salin — age 16, Past — Slightly Embarrassed Voice] I was thinking to myself... What do you say we go together to see something unique up on the mountain nearby? What do you think, little sister? [Happy, Cheerful Sigh] –

  However, the conversations and the time spent together gradually transformed that initial impression and changed her perspective of him.

  Salin understood the confusion she felt, and he tried to recreate activities that they once shared in childhood, before the long separation that lasted from early childhood almost into early adolescence.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  It was a way Salin found to help her realize that the person standing before her was not a stranger, but the very brother she always loved—just older now, and more mature than he was when they were children.

  In a Very Recent Past

  Near the City of Salin

  Close to the Mountain Region

  During one of her school vacation trips, Sasha spent a week at her brother's house. Salin knew that his sister silently faced a difficult period of longing due to the loss of their mother.

  Her visit coincided with the month of their mother's passing many years ago, and every time the year turned, that month deeply affected Sasha again.

  Without her needing to say anything, Salin, as a good older brother, could read far beyond what her expressions revealed.

  He could see the storm inside her heart—a sight that was both painful and beautiful, simply because he could still see into the heart of his little sister.

  Even after years without daily contact since childhood, Salin was still able to perceive what she felt, even now that she was older, at 14, compared to him at 16.

  Choosing to act, Salin took Sasha to the mountains to witness a meteor shower forecast for that very night.

  The event would be visible in that region, but they needed to leave the city center to escape the lights that would dim the brightness of the sky.

  [Salin & Sasha] — [Soft, Cheerful Singing Inside The Car]

  The area in the mountains was scarcely visited due to the harsh winter. Sasha was filled with anxious anticipation, while Salin experienced a blend of excitement for taking her there and concern that she would catch a cold.

  After arriving and finding a place with a stunning view, Salin noticed that the event was about to begin and the temperature dropped even more given the late hour.

  [(Salin — Hopeful Thought) I really hope nothing bad happens, because that smile of hers simply captivates me. (Soft, Happy Sigh)]

  Sasha watched her brother remove his own sweater and place it over her shoulders, prioritizing her comfort instead of his own.

  Salin feared she would get sick, remembering that since childhood, her colds were always particularly intense due to a mild health condition that would follow her throughout life.

  This condition affected the airflow reaching her lungs through her nose, making the process more difficult whenever she fell ill, which frequently led her to the doctor.

  [Salin — Gentle & Affectionate Voice] Sister, I don't want you to catch a cold. Wear my sweater—I'm not that cold, truly. And I'm sure your sweater alone isn't keeping you warm enough. [Warm, Playful Laugh] —

  Sasha's eyes contemplated how the world seemed to slow down when the meteors began cutting across the skies, momentarily lighting up her gaze.

  At the same time, she watched her brother smiling, gently placing his sweater over her shoulders, trying to hide the cold without letting his shivering become noticeable.

  [(Sasha — Uncertain Thought) This feeling I'm experiencing right now...]

  It was clear that Salin wanted not only to protect his sister from the cold on such a meaningful night for her, when she was eager to witness her first meteor shower.

  But also to care for her at any cost—as he always did when they were children, instinctively and naturally.

  [(Sasha — Nostalgic & Trembling Thought) It feels like the same sensation I had when I was still just a little girl...]

  Sasha had never truly noticed Salin's caring gestures in such an attentive and conscious way—something she simply could not perceive as a child.

  Now, after years of separation, she realized how her brother still held onto the same affectionate habits.

  [(Sasha — Nostalgic & Trembling Thought) The same sense of safety and peace that only you, brother, could give me when I was just a frightened little girl...]

  A shiver coursed through Sasha's entire body when she felt Salin's deep gaze over her. It became clear that, for him, no matter how much time had passed.

  She was still the same little sister—not because she had not grown, but because she would forever remain cherished in his eyes.

  [Affectionate & Caring Voice Of The Young Salin From The Past] I promise you, little sister, that I will always be here to protect you... [Subtle, shaky breath] —

  [Present-day Salin — Affectionate & Caring Voice] I promise you, little sister, that I will always be here to protect you... [Subtle, trembling breath] —

  Sasha's eyes watched her brother, Salin, adjust his coat one last time, and in that simple gesture she could see all the love and affection he held for her reflected in every small nuance of his expression.

  After seeing the genuine smile appear on his sister's lips, Salin returned his gaze to the sky, indicating that the long-awaited event was finally beginning.

  [(Salin — Thought, Happy & Affectionate) It looks like the light show has finally begun... wherever our mother may be watching us from... (Faint Trembling Breath)]

  [(Sasha — Thought, Trembling & Emotional) Big brother... my dear big brother... (Faint Trembling Breath)]

  His lips shaped a smile overflowing with love and tenderness toward Sasha, who, in that moment, reconnected with her brother as deeply and intensely as in the old days.

  At the same time, Sasha seemed to lose interest in the celestial display, choosing instead to focus on her brother's radiant smile, which whispered muffled yet meaningful words to her.

  Sasha felt as if a glowing ember of love for her brother ignited inside her chest, growing stronger every second.

  [Salin — Confident & Encouraging Voice] Little sister... I won't distance myself from you anymore. I promise that with my life... [Trembling Breath, Joyful] —

  Without realizing it, she stepped closer to her brother, overwhelmed by a moment so beautiful that it resurfaced a memory in her mind.

  The day when, still a child, he protected her for the very first time from dogs that were about to run at her.

  As she relived that moment, she moved toward him and wrapped her arms around him so intensely that it initially caught Salin off-guard.

  The embrace was tight yet comforting, so warm that he hesitated to say anything, hearing words that came out as indistinct murmurs — but ones that would change everything from that moment forward.

  [Sasha — Whispering Melancholically] Big brother, forgive me... for having seen you as a stranger through all this time since we became close again... I— please forgive me, big brother... [Voice Subtly Tearful] —

  Those words, echoing through the quiet surroundings, might have seemed simple to anyone else.

  Yet to Salin, they carried a weight steeped in love, because he felt it through the strength of his sister's embrace and through her silent tears.

  In that moment, Sasha finally understood that the figure standing before her was no longer a stranger, but her beloved brother.

  Who never stopped caring for her, despite the distance, even long before they finally reunited after so many years apart since childhood.

  Sasha's hands trembled slightly, as did her arms holding Salin; it was clearly a manifestation of all the conflicting emotions overwhelming her while being held by her brother.

  He responded the same way, caressing her gently, attempting to calm her heart without initially needing to say a single word for the effect to occur.

  It was as if, within that embrace — so strong, layered with countless emotions — Salin was carried back into the past.

  Because that moment was not only being relived by Salin; it was also revived within Sasha, who cried into his arms, able to feel her brother's heartbeat against her ear as her head rested on his chest.

  For Sasha, that heartbeat conveyed that the world around them suddenly lost all importance or meaning when compared to what that moment was becoming — immeasurable and unforgettable.

  It pulled Sasha back into her childhood, making her feel safe, unshakable, and protected in the comforting presence of her older brother's embrace.

  Suddenly, Salin felt a soft thump travel throughout his chest, causing a sharp tightening in his heart, along with uneven beats.

  In the blink of an eye, Salin saw himself as a child again, beside his little sister — also a child. Her embrace surrounded him with so much love, so much strength, and he could feel her silent tears through the trembling of her breath.

  [Salin (Present) & Salin (Child) — Voice Slightly Emotional & Deeply Happy] ...I don't know exactly what is happening inside your little heart, you stubborn little thing, but... [Deep Breath] —

  Salin returned the affection by gently caressing Sasha's head with one of his hands, trying to communicate not only through the gesture, but also through his heart.

  He could sense that a storm of emotions was stirring inside her—something he subconsciously felt was connected to himself.

  Before those tearful eyes that opened again to look up at him, filled with so much love for her brother, yet so much pain for having pushed him away over the years and beginning to forget how incredible he had once been.

  [Present Salin & Child Salin from the Past — melancholic & emotional voice] I want you to never forget that. I will always be by your side, and that even when you fall. I will be the light guiding you back on your feet. I love you deeply, my little annoying sister. —

  As the narrative drew itself slightly away from the focus on their faces, it became possible to glimpse Sasha for a few brief seconds while hearing those words from her brother.

  And at that precise moment. She managed to see him once again as a child, with tears beginning to fall and run down his face while he stared directly into her eyes.

  His gaze expressed what words could never encompass in relation to the magnitude of love he carried for his little sister.

  At the moment Sasha considered forming a sentence amidst everything that was happening, Salin performed an unexpected gesture. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, completely surprising her.

  That simple gesture triggered a pulse that traveled through every one of her nerves, leaving her face overwhelmed with memories of their past—before they were separated as children, and later when they tried to reconnect as adults.

  All these memories, once blurred and nearly colorless due to how much time had passed, now began to appear more vivid and saturated, confronting the doubts accumulated over the years apart—doubts that tormented her relationship with her older brother.

  Those doubts were only growing stronger, slowly consuming her heart like a spreading virus—filled with fears, uncertainties, and the haunting question of whether she could ever truly see Salin again as her older brother, the way he once had been.

  [Echoing Voice Of Sasha And Salin's Mother From The Past] ...I will not hate you. I will not turn against you. The love I feel for you is more powerful than the truth itself, my little Salin... [Trembling, Emotional Sigh] —

  Returning to Sasha's Present

  England, United Kingdom

  Salisas Corp Building

  With a simple blink of her eyes, Sasha returns to reality, finding herself once again in that lonely hallway of her home. She sits on the floor, breathing slightly deeper and with a faint tremor.

  [Echoing Voice Of Salin (Child)] Little sister! I will never give up fighting for you, you big brat!! [Genuinely Joyful & Happy Laughter] —

  However, little by little, her breathing begins to show signs of increasing happiness for some reason. She remembers everything, and gradually the tightness in her chest begins to fade.

  A smile forms on her lips, revealing that Sasha's heart has carried her once again to the moment when everything changed—when she was on the mountain during the celestial event alongside her brother.

  [Echoing Voice Of Salin (Child)] I will be the biggest and best older brother, and together we will rule the world!!! [Playfully Mischievous And Fun Laughter] —

  [Echoing Voice Of Salin (Teenager)] Hey, never forget that... I love you so much, little sister... And thank you for coming to visit me, even though you're busy. When you're here at home, it feels like the whole place becomes lighter. [Soft, Emotional And Amused Laugh] —

  Sasha understands, when facing so many beautiful and singular memories, just how much her brother had given her—before their separation and after their reunion.

  She realizes that, no matter what truth may exist about the incident that culminated in their mother's death, what truly remains is that her brother was.

  And will always be—by her side, even if at some point she may end up nurturing some feeling of resentment.

  [Sasha — Tearful & Emotional Voice] Brother, I promise you that nothing will ever break our bond again, because I love you beyond any truth concerning the cause of our mother's accident!! [Deep Breath & Confident Tone] —