My ashes were placed by Ryan in a suburban cemetery.
That night, he stood in front of the tombstone all night long, without uttering a word.
I rested my ethereal face on his shoulder and murmured softly:"Do you still think of me, brother?"
No one answered.
Only the sound of the wind passing through the narrow walkway.
Initially, I thought Jasmine’s death would stir up some commotion.
But a week later when Ryan met with Daniel again and mentioned Jasmine, the latter was perplexed: "Jasmine? Who's that?"
"Never mind who she is. Ryan, you need to pull yourself together, Grace’s accidental fall into the sea was unexpected by everyone..."
Ryan suddenly interrupted him: "Accidental fall into the sea?"
Daniel nodded absently: "Yes."
It then dawned on me.
Jasmine's mission failed, and Ryan killed her.
So the world corrected the story, erasing all traces of Jasmine.
Now, besides Ryan and myself, no one else knew the truth.
"It's better this way, brother, I don’t want even my death to be a burden on you."
I bravely grasped Ryan’s sleeve, followed him into the car, and returned home.
Beside the study was a locked room.
When Jasmine was here, she had asked what was inside.
At the time, Ryan paused and nonchalantly said:"Just some junk, I haven’t had time to sort it out, so I locked it up."
Now, I finally saw what was inside.
It was all about me.
My photos, my paintings, my violin.
My worn hairbands, my little dresses, my mysteriously lost school skirt.
The keys fell to the floor with a crisp sound.
Ryan stood at the door, his long eyelashes drooping, hiding all emotion in his eyes.
"I'm just... really scared that you’d find out I’m a terrible brother."
"But even if you hated me, it's better than you just dying."
"That morning when I woke up, I felt it strange, why there were two completely different memories in my head. And a strange, overwhelming force was compelling me to acknowledge the latter."
"But that could never have happened, because I am clear, I am the type of freak who would only have those thoughts about his own sister."
He knelt down in pain, pressing his hand firmly over his heart.
"I'm sorry, Grace... don't be afraid of me."
His eyes were red, though that day on the cruise ship when he killed Jasmine, they were as sharp as a blade.
Now, they looked like those of a lost child.
"Brother."
The sharp pain in my heart resurged.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, dust danced in the light.
An invisible wind tore at my soul, my consciousness gradually fading.
I suddenly realized.
I seemed about to completely disappear.
"I've had many dreams about you.It's just the two of us in it. I forced our intimacy and you cry beautifully."
"See, I'm such a wanton sister. My mom was right, my temperament is strange, no one but you could bear me."
"Who, except for you, could love a girl not even her own mother liked? brother."
"So I don't blame you, I just love you, and I have regrets. If I had lived longer, maybe after getting drunk one time, I couldn’t bear it and would have thrown myself at you."
I gently landed in his arms, wrapped my arms around him, and kissed him.
This hug and kiss were as light as a bubble.
Of course, my brother couldn't feel them.
Tears fell heavily as I smiled and said: "I really want to sleep with you, brother."
"...Goodbye."
My consciousness froze at that moment and returned to nothingness.
