Chapter 12 - The hand grabbed Silly.She screamed.
I pulled her backward.
But the hand dragged her toward the crack.
“Let go!”
Silly kicked desperately.
Elias watched.
He didn't move.
“Help me!”
He smiled.
“You wanted the truth.”
“Now you get it.”
The crack widened.
Mai crawled out.
She no longer looked like a child.
She looked like something assembled from memories.
Her body flickered between ages.
Twelve.
Twenty.
Seventy.
Then twelve again.
She looked at Silly.
“Why did you leave me?”
Silly sobbed.
“I came back.”
“Too late.”
“I was twelve.”
“You promised.”
“I was scared.”
Mai looked at me.
“He chose you.”
I didn't understand.
“Who?”
“You.”
“You chose yourself.”
I remembered.
That night.
The game.
The fourth shadow.
The tree asking for a name.
But the memory was wrong.
I had not volunteered.
I had pointed at Silly.
Silly had pushed me aside.
Mai had stepped forward.
Then Elias had appeared.
Everything was confused.
I looked at my sister.
“You said you chose yourself.”
She shook her head.
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“Because the truth would destroy you.”
“What truth?”
She looked at Mai.
“Mai chose herself.”
Mai screamed.
“I did it for them!”
“For me?”
“For Silly.”
“She was going to be taken.”
“So I took her place.”
My heart tightened.
“What did Elias do?”
Mai looked at him.
“He was the one who made the bargain.”
Elias's smile vanished.
“No.”
Mai pointed.
“He wanted to come back.”
“He asked the tree for a body.”
“In exchange, he promised one memory from every member of the family.”
I stared at my twin.
“You caused all this.”
“I was a child.”
“You knew what would happen?”
“I didn't.”
Mai's body flickered.
“I knew.”
The tree heart began beating faster.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Every face in the walls opened its eyes.
Then the chamber filled with whispering.
Thousands of people began saying the same phrase.
“Remember.”
Silly grabbed my hand.
“You have to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“What you want to remember.”
“What happens if I remember everything?”
“You become the tree.”
“What if I remember nothing?”
“You disappear.”
“And you?”
“I disappear with you.”
I stared at her.
“No.”
She smiled through tears.
“I knew that from the beginning.”
Elias stepped toward us.
“Let her go.”
Silly shook her head.
“He wants you.”
“You cannot stop him.”
“Then maybe I can stop you.”
Elias raised his hand.
The floor cracked.
Roots wrapped around Silly's legs.
I grabbed her.
“Take me!”
The roots stopped.
Elias smiled.
“Finally.”
Silly whispered:
“Don't.”
“Take me instead.”
Elias reached forward.
I felt something enter my head.
Memories flashed.
My birth.
My father's death.
Mom crying.
Silly holding my hand.
Mai screaming.
The first night at the tree.
Everything.
Every forgotten moment.
Too much.
I fell to my knees.
Elias whispered:
“Yes.”
“Remember.”
The heart beat faster.
The roots began covering my body.
My skin became cold.
My memories were being pulled from me.
Then I saw something.
Something Elias hadn't seen.
Inside the tree's memory was a door.
Behind it stood a child.
A six-year-old version of me.
He was holding a small yellow talisman.
He looked directly at me.
And whispered:
“You don't have to remember.”
May you like
“You only have to forgive.”
The entire chamber went silent.
