When I was born into this world…
I remembered everything.
Not clearly.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
And then—
I met him.
My stepbrother.
Sana.
The first time I saw him was the day my mother remarried.
She held my hand, guiding me gently into a place that was supposed to become home.
But the moment I stepped inside—
I saw him.
A boy standing quietly in the hallway.
Sana (child):
"Nice to meet you… my stepsister."
I looked at his face.
And the world—
Stopped.
That smile.
That voice.
That presence—
My chest tightened.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
It hurt.
A sharp, suffocating pain wrapped around my heart as something buried deep inside me clawed its way back to the surface.
Lata (child):
"N-Nice to meet you… big brother…"
My voice came out soft. Shy.
Perfect.
But inside—
Something was collapsing.
Because I knew that face.
In another life…
There was someone who looked at me the same way.
Someone who stayed.
Someone who believed.
Someone—
I abandoned.
I told myself it was the right thing.
He depended on me too much.
He couldn't stand on his own.
So I left.
I thought… if I disappeared—
He would become stronger.
I was wrong.
Not long after that—
He broke.
And when I finally realized it—
When I tried to find him again—
He was already gone.
No trace.
No goodbye.
As if he had never existed in the first place.
"…I destroyed him."
That truth never left me.
Not in life.
Not in death.
And now—
He was standing in front of me again.
Different name.
Different life.
Different world.
But the same eyes.
Why?
Why does it feel like—
I found him again?
My fingers trembled.
Just slightly.
Just enough that no one noticed.
[This time…]
[I won't let go.]
Time passed.
I became the perfect sister.
Gentle.
Kind.
Reliable.
Everything I should have been back then.
But slowly—
Something changed.
I didn't just want to stay beside him.
I wanted him to choose me.
Not as a sister.
As someone—
Irreplaceable.
And before I realized it—
I had already stepped too far.
After our father died—
There was no one left to watch us closely.
The distance between us disappeared.
Little by little—
We crossed lines that should never have been touched.
No one knew.
And I made sure—
No one ever would.
The more time I spent with him—
The quieter the pain became.
The emptiness inside me…
Started to fade.
Because he was there.
Always.
He listened.
He stayed.
He chose me—
Every time.
And that—
Made it worse.
"Why… did I leave you back then…?"
For the first time—
I felt alive.
I had everything.
Friends.
Attention.
Admiration.
People looked at me like I was something special.
Something they wanted.
But it meant nothing.
Because my heart—
Had already chosen.
And then—
That day came.
Lata:
"Brother… can you promise me something?"
My voice trembled.
Not because I was unsure—
But because I already knew the answer would change everything.
"It's… really important."
Sana smiled.
That same gentle smile.
Sana:
"What is it, my precious sister?"
"I'll agree to anything you ask."
Anything.
That word—
Was dangerous.
I lowered my gaze.
My fingers tightened against my skirt.
For a moment—
I hesitated.
Because I understood.
If I said it now—
There would be no going back.
No excuses.
No pretending.
Only truth.
Slowly—
I lifted my head.
Lata:
"Then… promise me…"
My voice softened.
Almost breaking.
"…no matter what happens…"
A breath.
"…no matter who stands beside you…"
My eyes locked onto his.
"Don't leave me."
Silence.
Thin.
Fragile.
"…Even if I become someone you shouldn't love…"
My lips curved slightly.
Not quite a smile.
Not quite sane.
"Stay with me."
"Only me."