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As the horizontal hologram shot up from Sebastian’s wrist, all sleep vanished from my eyes. Mina was right there, wrapping her arms around Mr. Olind. My throat tightened. My hand reached out on instinct, fingers grazing her projection.

God, I missed her so much.

I ran my hands through my hair. I went back to my seat, my legs shaking with stress again. My trembling hand reached for the sleeping pills this time, but Sebastian stopped me.

“No, son. You look horrible. How much longer will you poison yourself? You’re not that weak. Stop escaping reality.”

I froze at his words. My reality is Mina. I never escape my Mina. My eyes, wide and glassy, remained fixed on the ceiling, unblinking.

“Maybe I’m that weak.” I murmured.

A real without her can’t exist. I refuse to live in such a place.

“Put it down.”

“I still want to kill you, so back off.”

“To kill me, you must first possess a pulse of your own, son. So put it down.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Will you feel better if I bring you the girl?”

“Stop talking about her.”

“She left you, son. It’s over.”

Glaring at him, my jaw clenched. I stood up, wiping my hand on a silk handkerchief with clinical disgust.

“Where are you going?”

I ignored him, picking up the jacket I threw on the edge of my bed, left the room with a blank face.

She didn’t. It’s not over.

I looked like a complete drunkard, as Sebastian pointed, and under normal circumstances I would never have allowed Mina to see me like this. But perhaps if she saw me like this, she might soften a little. Penelope had given me this stupid suggestion; women love seeing men weak for them. I had always thought the opposite, always trying to appear strong and tough in front of Mina.

Well, I hoped Penelope was right.

After that day, I came to her house every day for a week. I went up to Mina’s room countless times, her father’s news agency, her school, everywhere. At first, she didn’t respond, but yesterday she told me to get lost for the first time.

Well, we could get lost together, right? I would wait. As long as she wished. But I gave her seven whole days. It was cruel. So cruel. She couldn’t, no, shouldn’t escape this much longer.

By now, she should’ve known; there was no running from me. These days, I rarely respected Mina’s free will. Her damned will had nearly gotten her killed. It was our greatest enemy. I had to destroy it. That’s why I wanted to do some things I couldn’t hold back anymore.

Maybe my Mina would look beautiful in a cage. Maybe, if she handed over all the leashes of her free will to her dearest Remi, she would be happy. She’d always hated being human. Wouldn’t she be happy if I controlled her emotions and senses? If she gave me the all, she wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. Does she want to harm herself? Well, I would make that happen too. We would play the game however she wanted to play it.

“Mina?” I was at her doorstep again. Despite the dirty scenes kept playing in my head, I was able to speak in a sorrowful tone. “Mina, I’m sorry. Let’s talk, okay?” The door wasn’t locked, so I stepped inside.

“My love?”

When I looked into the bathroom with a sense of déjà vu, I saw her there. Her back was turned to me, she was facing the mirror.

Her wrist was bleeding again.

This time, I was almost certain this image was just a hallucination. It couldn’t be real. I had thought I had explained myself clearly that night. I assumed I was as no longer invisible in Mina’s eyes. But no, she seemed to have forgotten my existence again.

Maybe she really did. She clearly stated that she didn’t want to see you.