AllFreeNovel
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When I reach the top of the staircase, I grip the banister tightly, the faint sound of a conversation below reaching my ears.
I force myself to continue, stepping carefully down the remaining stairs. The voices become clearer.
The foyer comes into view. The high ceiling and large windows have always made the space feel open and inviting, yet the butterflies in my stomach now flutter more wildly. I take another deep breath, before stepping into the living room with a smile planted on my face. My eyes immediately lock with the blonde man standing by the fireplace, breath catching in my throat.
Recognition hits me like a tidal wave. I’ve seen him before. He was the boy in the photo from my father’s files on the Sisterhood. How could I forget?
But that’s not the only reason he’s familiar. I’ve seen him somewhere else. Somewhere that feels like a half-forgotten dream. My mind races, sifting through broken memories, until it lands on that night in the forest when I’d first taken drugs.
I had been wandering aimlessly, drunk and high, the world around me a hazy blur. I’d stumbled upon someone I thought was a figment of my imagination.
But now, looking at Atlas, I know it was him. It had to be.
He gives me a knowing look, and I see the confirmation in his gaze. He remembers too. Holy shit.
We look almost identical. His blonde hair mirrors mine, our facial structures are the same, and we even share the same nose and lips, with the bottom one just a tad larger than the top. It’s like staring at a slightly different version of myself.
There’s only one striking difference—his eyes.
He has heterochromia, one eye a deep, stormy blue and the other a warm, golden brown. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
We stand there, staring at each other for what feels like an eternity. My mind races, yet my body feels rooted to the spot. The room falls silent around us, the only sound my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. Finally, I manage to break the silence.
“Hi.”
He nods at me, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Aria, this is Atlas. Atlas, this is obviously your sister, Aria,” Dimo says, pointing between us. I’d almost forgotten he was here too.
I extend a hand and Atlas hesitates briefly before grabbing it.
“Nice to meet you.”
He nods. Hmmm. The silent type. Is he a mute?
“Our mother will be joining us for dinner soon, but I thought you two would like a moment to chat before we sit at the table. Yeah?” Dimo says, looking back at me.
“Yeah. Of course. If that’s okay with you, Atlas.”
He nods. Okay…I wonder how this conversation is going to go if I can’t get a word out of him.
As soon as Dimo has left, I blurt out, “It was you, wasn’t it? That night in the forest?”
Atlas nods slowly. “I had snuck in to get some info from your father’s office. I hadn’t expected anyone to be awake.”
“I saw a picture of you as a little boy,” I begin, my voice trembling slightly. “In his files. I felt like I knew you, but I didn’t know why, until now.”
His expression grows somber. “That makes sense. After my mother was killed, I was taken to the Sisterhood. The nuns raised me until I was old enough to be on my own. But I was kept underground, where no one could see me or know of my existence.”
I shudder at the thought, the horror of it making my skin crawl. How could a father treat his child like that?
Atlas looks away, a hint of pain flickering in his eyes. He seems hesitant to say more, and I can sense the rawness of his emotions. I decide not to push further, dropping the subject for now.
“I’m sorry for what my father did to you, what he put you through all these years. But I’m glad we found each other, even if the circumstances are complicated.”
He offers a faint smile, the weight of our shared history pressing down on both of us. “Yeah, me too.”
Seated on the large sofa, I avert my gaze to the carpeted floor and fidget with the hem of my shirt. I’m not sure what to say now.
