35

"You finally met." Knox sighed happily when he saw Anna at the foot of the snow-capped mountains.

The sight of her was mesmerizing, and as he took in the scene, all the anger that had been boiling inside him dissipated in an instant. The world of his heart shifted, a warmth spreading through him. His heart, once hardened by frustration, now softened. He began to walk slowly toward her, closing the distance between them, each step pulling him closer to something he had longed for.

Anna, standing before him, leaned back slightly. For a moment, she was deceived by his pleasant demeanor, the one she had once known. She almost called out to him, “Joseph,” but then she caught sight of something else—the scattered colors of the rainbow, shimmering like distant memories. Her lips tightened into a thoughtful pout.

“How different this place looks in the snow... more beautiful than ever,” Knox murmured, his gaze distant as he took in the breathtaking landscape. The snow, the silence—it all reminded him of times long past.

Anna was forced to smile. It felt like a forced gesture, one she wasn’t sure she even wanted to make anymore.

“And you too... look many times more beautiful than before,” Knox continued, his voice soft, genuine. The words hit Anna like a weight she hadn’t expected. She couldn’t stop herself from laughing, even though she didn’t want to. Her laughter was muffled, caught somewhere deep inside her. It gripped him, resonating in his chest in a way he wasn’t prepared for.

Joseph, who had been quietly standing to the right of Anna, turned his head slightly, the ache of jealousy creeping up on him. He looked away, unable to meet their gaze. He knew what this moment meant. He knew the shift in the air when a man’s love was pulled away by someone else. He realized that his love had faltered, that he had let go when he should have fought. The realization was bitter and sharp.

Joseph was there, standing in the form of snow, a part of the landscape, hidden in plain sight. Anna couldn’t see him, but Knox, if he cared to look, would have noticed. But Knox’s focus remained fixed on Anna. His eyes never strayed.

“Dr. Knox, are you alright?” Anna’s voice broke through the tension, laced with worry. Her question cleared away the storm in his mind, pushing him to remember the time he had spent in her love. Memories surfaced, flooding him.

“Yes. How long have we been together?” he asked, his voice slow, almost as if waking from a deep sleep.

“Yes. Absolutely,” Anna replied, her words soft but uncertain. She didn’t know how to respond to him anymore, not with everything that had happened between them.

Knox’s eyes flickered with confusion. “What happened to him? I just met him two days ago, and he almost took my life.” His voice wavered slightly, his confusion evident. He had never been afraid of Knox before, but something was different now. The fear that had been absent before clung to her like an unwanted shadow.

“How are you so quiet today?” Anna asked, trying to read him. Her voice was gentle, seeking the same comfort she had always found in their conversations. “What happened to you?”

The tone of his voice softened, and a strange flicker of recognition passed through his eyes. It was as if the Knox she had known was slowly returning. “You know, Joseph called me all of a sudden, or I’d have met you,” he said, his words tentative, unsure.

“But how did we get here?” This question seemed to take Anna by surprise. She blinked in confusion, her eyes widening, unsure how to answer him. Joseph, too, turned to him, his expression a mix of shock and concern. Was it possible he truly didn’t remember anything? Joseph could feel his heart sinking.

Was it possible that Knox had changed so completely, that the man he had been before had been erased, leaving only a hollow shell behind?

“We’re here for fun; you, I, and Joseph... don’t you remember?” Anna asked, her voice calm, though a subtle sadness lingered in her words.

“No, I wonder why I don’t remember anything,” Knox said, frustration lacing his tone. His brow furrowed in frustration, his mind struggling to piece together the gaps.

“What do you remember last?” Anna asked gently, though her heart ached at the thought. She needed to know what he remembered, where his mind had been. Knox paused, his thoughts racing.

He remembered the helplessness he had felt, hanging upside down, his world spinning, his life dangling by a thread. He chuckled darkly. “Nothing pleasant and nothing worth telling you,” he said, his voice low. He didn’t want to burden her with the memories of his past, but he couldn’t stop himself from remembering.

Anna looked at him, her gaze soft. After so many days apart, his good looks still struck her, though it was no longer the same. The effect was muted, though his presence was undeniable.

Joseph, standing silently by, put a hand on his shoulder, offering silent support.

“What’s going on?” Knox asked, his voice laced with confusion.

Joseph, unable to hide his frustration, raised an eyebrow. “Tell me first, have you erased my memory? I don’t remember anything.” His voice was tinged with artificial resentment, but there was something more beneath it—concern, affection, a love for his companion.

“This often happens with experiments on me,” Joseph said, his voice quiet, almost regretful.

Without warning, Joseph pulled Knox into a hug, his grip tight and reassuring. Anna smiled, her eyes moist with unshed tears. Knox had regained his dignity, his former self returning slowly. Knox watched the display with surprise, his confusion deepening.

“How are you? What’s the matter with me?” Knox asked, his voice quiet and vulnerable.

“Nothing. Come on,” Joseph gestured toward him, encouraging him to move forward. He motioned for Anna to come with him, and the three of them began walking together. Joseph looked at Anna, giving her a small, knowing smile. She returned it with a silent nod, understanding the weight of the moment. Knox stood for a moment, processing everything, before he shrugged and followed, taking each step slowly as he joined them.

As they walked, the moment felt lighter, almost surreal. They moved toward the future, uncertain of what awaited them, but together nonetheless.

The marriage between Anna and Joseph was fixed for today. The final details of their union were coming together, but there was still time before Knox would be crowned. Anna, in the meantime, had a request for Joseph. She wanted him to disable her duplicate—she couldn’t bear the thought of anyone but Joseph looking at her, even if it was just a robot. She told him it was unnecessary now, with everything going well.

Knox, in his confusion, still didn’t remember anything, but he played his role as Joseph’s twin brother in the ceremony. He was at the forefront of the wedding, performing the duties expected of him, though his heart still felt heavy.

“You didn’t say he had a twin brother,” Anna’s father remarked as he sat beside her, observing the ceremony.

“That... I told you...” Anna hesitated, pressing her tongue against her teeth, trying to cover up the gap in her explanation. Now she had to explain where this “brother” had come from.

“I forgot... sorry,” she said, laughing lightly, trying to play it off. She grabbed her ear innocently, a sheepish smile on her face.

“Please don’t go to the surgery department,” Anna’s father teased. “You might forget to put the scissors inside a patient during the operation.”

“Well, sorry,” Anna laughed. She adopted his teasing style, and they shared a moment of lightheartedness. But their laughter stopped as they saw Joseph and Knox approaching, and the moment became more serious again.

As they prepared for the ceremony, Anna’s father asked, “Tell me one thing, how will you recognize Joseph?”

Anna smiled, certain of the answer. “I recognize him.”

“Okay. Then tell me, who is Joseph?” He asked again, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

The twins were dressed exactly the same—how would she distinguish them?

“The one on the right,” Anna said confidently, her chin raised proudly.

“Let’s see,” her father said, getting up to test her.

Joseph approached, stepping closer, and Anna met his gaze with certainty. Joseph’s eyes flickered toward her, a silent communication passing between them. Anna stood tall, her smile steady. Joseph’s gaze was full of resolve, but there was something else there too—he had failed her in some way, but she understood.

As they moved forward, Knox, who had been meeting Anna’s relatives, suddenly froze. His eyes locked onto Joseph and Anna, sitting together. A strange, unpleasant wave washed over him. His brain erupted in a violent surge of pain, making him stagger back. He barely managed to steady himself against the wall, confusion and agony fighting for dominance inside him.

Scenes from his past flickered behind his closed eyelids, memories he couldn’t control. His pain intensified, and when he finally opened his eyes, there was a fire in them—determination to burn everything to the ground. He turned away, facing the future, his mind set on a dangerous course.

The night was far from over.