Kapitel 184: Living In Delusions

Vyan's heart sank into a pit of confusion and anxiety. He followed Aster's gaze to an empty corner of the room where there was a set of couches and a tea table. "Where?" he whispered, dread creeping up his spine.

"There," Aster said, his voice full of a childish certainty. "My little brother is sitting right there, eating chocolate cake. You see, it's his favorite."

Vyan's heart twisted painfully as he realized the truth—Aster wasn't seeing him. He was seeing a phantom, a ghost of the past that existed only in his fractured mind. "Oh, I see. What about... Mother and Father?" Vyan asked, his voice barely more than a breath.

Aster's smile was hollow, a thin crescent of madness. "Right about now, Mother must be looking for us to have lunch, but Vee is too busy with his cake to care. We are so going to get scolded, I just know it. And Father… he has gone to the capital for business. He will be back in a couple of days."