34

"Where is he hiding you?" He wandered around the upper room, his mind racing, his thoughts clouded with confusion. He felt like he was slowly losing his grip on reality.
"You can't take her away from me this time, Joseph. I won't let it happen again." His voice trembled with frustration as he collapsed into a chair, gasping for breath. His eyes glinted with sudden realization as a thought struck him.
"Maybe it won’t be that difficult to find you." A smile tugged at his lips, dark and twisted.
"He’s forgetting what I’m capable of. You’re not even on this planet, but the wind and dust of the Earth will guide me, telling me where you’ve been and where you’ve set foot." A cruel, demonic gleam danced in his eyes as he smiled, knowing he was closer than ever.
As soon as he received the signal from Anna, Joseph didn’t waste a second. Without hesitation, he made his way straight to the basement, moving swiftly with purpose. At the same time, Knox’s footsteps echoed on the floor above. Anna was pacing in the hall, agitated and restless, almost as if she was on edge, and Joseph rushed toward her with urgency in his movements.
"Anna, is everything alright?" His voice was full of concern, his eyes scanning her face for any sign of distress.
"Joseph... I know the reason for Knox’s sudden change. We can fix this, we can do it just like we used to." She spoke quickly, as if her words could somehow bring an answer to all their problems.
"How?" Joseph asked, his brow furrowing as he tried to process what she was saying.
"The heart you put inside him... it was a clone of a human heart, wasn’t it?" Anna’s voice softened as she asked the question, as if the truth could change everything.
"Yes," Joseph replied cautiously, his eyes narrowing in thought. "But what about it?"
"You didn’t wash it before you put it in him, did you? The heart you gave him... it likely belonged to someone consumed entirely by hatred, jealousy, and anger, just like the person who had the heart. Someone who was filled with nothing but those dark emotions."
Joseph stared at her, his mind racing. "Oh, so... you think we can fix this?"
Anna's optimism faltered for a moment. "Maybe... but I can't promise anything. I can’t say for sure, but I’m hoping this method works."
Joseph nodded, his face hardening with determination. "First, he needs to be exposed to the Earth’s natural climate. Once his mind starts to move his heart according to his own will, those emotions will fade away on their own. Right now, the heart is controlling his mind. And we also need to remind him of the past, remind him of who he really is. If he truly wants to, he can rid himself of these poisonous emotions quickly."
Anna listened intently, her mind processing the plan. "So... we begin in the village. The place where his happiest memories are rooted?"
Joseph’s face softened. "Exactly. That’s where we begin."
Anna blinked, confused. "What happened in the village?"
"Love," Joseph said simply, the weight of the word hanging in the air.
"Love?" Anna’s voice lifted in surprise. "Really?" She jumped with joy, then suddenly grew serious. "And he never thought to tell me about this?"
Joseph gave her a small, understanding smile as she huffed in frustration.
Meanwhile, standing on the surface of the Earth, Knox inhaled deeply, the cool air filling his lungs. He could feel the tension leave his body as his stiff limbs relaxed. A sense of peace settled in his heart and mind, almost like the Earth itself was healing him.
"You can't hide from me, Anna," Knox murmured to himself, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "My sixth sense tells me you’re here, somewhere close by."
He looked around, his senses on high alert, but he knew she was near.
The place where he stood was not far from Joseph’s basement, and he smiled, recognizing the tracks leading away from the building. He followed them without hesitation, eager to find Anna.
Knox stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he looked around. The snow spread out in every direction, covering the land like a vast white sea, with only his own footprints in it. He knelt down and breathed deeply, trying to catch a scent. Slowly, he began to clear the snow with his hands. Beneath it, he found Anna's scarf, buried in the cold white. He stood up, holding it with both hands, his eyes darkening with realization.
"They were here," he muttered to himself, his voice a mix of annoyance and determination.
Suddenly, his head snapped up, a look of shock crossing his face. It was as if someone had rushed past him in a blur, unseen but felt. He hesitated for a moment, then, with a thought, turned and took a step in that direction.
As he moved forward, Joseph’s footprints became clear, revealing the path Joseph had taken. Knox’s frustration began to boil over. He shook his head, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Is he really enjoying this little game of cat and mouse?" he muttered. He closed his eyes for a moment, sending a sharp message to Joseph.
"Why don’t you just admit you’re not the perfect match for Anna? Can an alien with an artificial heart really love anyone?" His words were cold, filled with challenge.
Joseph heard the message and shook his head in quiet amusement. He didn’t need to prove his love to anyone. "Those who think they are perfect in love are the ones who don’t understand what love truly is."
As Joseph and Anna continued their journey through the snow-covered plains, Anna turned to him, her voice filled with concern. "Are you sure he’s going to come?"
"He’s coming," Joseph said, a confident smile crossing his face.
"No one but me has walked in this snow," he continued, his voice calm and steady. "He’ll recognize my footprints right away. He’ll follow them straight to where we want him to be."
Anna looked back over her shoulder at the trail of footprints. Joseph was wearing shoes from his home planet, so Knox would easily recognize the markings.
"He’ll think you’ve come here alone," Anna said with a mischievous smile, her mood lifting. "He won’t realize you’ve found another way to get me here."
Joseph chuckled softly. "He knows I can’t travel far in this snow on foot. He’ll know I found another way to get you here. Maybe he suspects I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve."
Anna looked at him thoughtfully. "Doesn’t he know you well enough by now?"
"I didn’t know he could become my enemy either," Joseph admitted, his voice softer, tinged with regret. "That’s my mistake."
Anna smiled reassuringly at him. "It doesn’t matter. I’m sure he’ll be fine. We’ll work this out."
Joseph’s expression softened, and he gave her a small, grateful smile.