Shane opened his eyes and saw his father in front of him.
"Dad, is it really you?"
"Silly boy, what are you talking about?" At that moment, his mother approached him, carrying the two-year-old Salem in her arms.
"Of course, it's your father." She smiled warmly.
"Il... What is this?" Shane looked at his hands in disbelief.
"What's wrong, Shane?" his father asked with concern.
"It's... It's nothing... | just feel like | had a really long dream..."
"Oh? Why don't you tellabout it? What kind of dream did you have?" his father said while lovingly bringing Shane into his arms.
Shane sat on his father's lap carefully, feeling the warmth andfort. It was unmistakable—this was his father.
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"I... dreamed..." Just as he was about to speak, the memories of his family's massacre flashed vividly in his mind. It felt so real.
What was real?
Shane shook his head.
"I... | can't quite remember... but... | dreamed that | had grown up, and my brothers had too. Everyone became..."
"Hahaha, Shane, do you want to grow up?" Like many adults, his father asked themon question.
“If I grow up... Does that mean | can do anything?" Shane asked back.
"Haha, of course! Once you grow up, you'll be a man."
"But... I... I..." Shane struggled as conflicting memories flooded his mind.
"It's alright. It's just a dream... Just a dream..." he muttered to himself. He was clutching his head, trying to et the real
memories haunting him.
"Shane, what's wrong?" his father asked with concern.
Shane lowered his arms and tightly embraced his father. Just like when he was a child, he said, "I don't want to! | don't want to
grow up. When | grow up, all of you will disappear..."
"Haha, don't worry. We won't disappear. Even when you grow up, we'll always be here."
Shane wiped his tears at his father's words.
"Really?"
"Of course, of course."
At that moment, more of his memories returned. He saw his brother lying in a pool of blood again.
"No... No! Don't makeremember!"
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Shane quickly embraced his mother.
“You're such a freak."
Within Shane's mind, Mosley and No.10 were constantly interfering with his memories, each influencing him in their own way.
"Let him sleep peacefully. What's so bad about that? You're so cruel, trying to wake his memories!"
No. 10 snarled. "The world is inherently cruel. I'm just letting him et his pain. What's wrong with that?"
"Slow down! Simon, wait for me!" In the deepest layers of his mind, Shane had gone back to his school days with his younger
brother.
Simon sat down on a bench at the bus stop, and Shane quickly followed.
“Today was so much fun,” Simon said.
“Yeah, | wish we could be this happy every day," Shane replied.