Two Worlds, One Farewell
After that, my fathers paranoia spiraled.
He hated me for not being able to keep my mother here, and his cruelty became my daily reality. He was convinced that if he was hard enough on me, my mothers heart would soften.
That she would come back from the other world.
She never did.
But I found the last words she left for me.
My darling, Im sorry I couldnt take you with me then.
But when youre an adult, you can make your own choice.
All you have to do is die. You can leave this world and come find me
I stood on the same rooftop where she had jumped, taking one last look at my father as he sprinted toward me, his face a mask of madness.
I didnt want him anymore.
1
The night before my eighteenth birthday, my phone buzzed with something I hadn't seen in years: a video call request from my father.
I answered.
It wasn't his face on the screen. It was Loras.
The daughter of Seraphina, my father's childhood sweetheart from her first marriage.
Loras eyes were full of triumphant malice. She tilted the phone, pointing toward the kitchen behind her. Through the half-open door, I could just make out the figure of Mike. My father. He was wearing an apron, cooking for another woman and her child.
And the boy who always said he liked me
He was sitting on their couch, casually playing with the family cat as if hed been there a thousand times.
It made sense.
Mike barely acknowledged my existence.
Why would Leo feel any obligation to stay with me?
Lora covered her mouth, her eyes dancing with glee. "Poor little thing. Your daddy and your boyfriend don't want you anymore! They're not even celebrating your birthday with you tomorrow. Too bad, you little jinx who killed her own mom"
Before she could finish, Mike walked out of the kitchen.
He was holding a plate of cola chicken wingsmy favorite.
He ambled over and took the phone from Loras hand. His eyes glanced at the screen, and a flicker of recognition passed over his face. The faint smile hed been wearing instantly vanished.
His voice was like ice.
"She called? Don't answer Anya's calls anymore. She's bad luck."
2
My mother came to this world when Mike was at his lowest.
The System told her that the main storyline here was nearly over.
But Mike, the storys second male lead, was trapped in the darkest chapter of his life. The main heroine had left him, his family's business was bankrupt, and a rival had left him with two shattered legs.
Many readers felt his ending was too tragic. They wished for someone to appear by his side, to pull him from the abyss.
Thats when my mother, Elara, was sent here.
The System promised her that when her mission was over, she could choose to stay or to leave.
She stayed by Mikes side. She helped him heal, nursed him back to health, and together, they rebuilt his empire from the ashes.
The day his company went public, my father knelt on one knee and proposed.
"Elara," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "will you marry me?"
She didn't say yes right away.
"Mike," she said instead, her voice steady. "You know I'm not from here, right? You know I was sent by a System."
"If you ever betray me, I will go back to my world, and I will never return."
Mike gripped her hand, shaking his head fiercely. "I will never, ever do anything to hurt you."
At the time, neither of them could have imagined what was coming.
After the story was supposed to have ended, the plot took a sharp, unexpected turn.
The main hero and heroine did not live happily ever after.
The heroine, Seraphina, got a divorce.
She moved back to the city, bringing her daughter with her.
3
By the time I was born, the distance between my mother and father was already a vast, cold ocean.
Seraphina and my father were childhood sweethearts, and she always seemed to have a reason to call him away.
She was sick. Her child had a fever. Her pipes burst. There was a strange man lurking in her neighborhood.
In the beginning, my mother would call him, her voice tight with frustration. Eventually, she just grew tired of it.
When it was just the two of us, she would pull me onto her lap, hold me so tight I could barely breathe, and whisper, "Anya, if Mommy wasn't here anymore, what would you do?"
I knew my mother didnt belong to this world. I knew she had a System that could take her away. But I had never seen it, never heard it.
Until one night. For the first time, I heard the System speak to her.
It was a cold, mechanical voice, yet it seemed to carry a strange, human-like sorrow.
"Host, I apologize. We lost contact with you for a period of time."
"The plotline has now destabilized. The interaction between the second male lead, Mike, and the heroine has become too frequent. We must repair the world's narrative."
"Because you do not originally belong here, we require you to leave."
My mother's face crumpled in agony. She sank to her knees, her face in her hands, and a choked sob escaped her lips.
"I don't care about Mike anymore. I don't want him. But what about Anya? She's my daughter. She's so little. What will happen to her?"
The air was thick with a heavy silence.
But there was no other way.
The System replied, "I am sorry. But this is the only way."
4
I still remember the day my mother left.
She made me a plate of cola chicken wings and brought them to my room. She unclasped the jade pendant from her neck and fastened it around mine.
"Daddy is coming home soon," she said, her voice impossibly gentle. "I have something important to talk to him about. You stay and play in your room, okay, Anya?"
My parents hadn't seen each other in a long time, not since their cold war began. I knew she wouldn't have called him unless it was something critical.
Maybe maybe she was really leaving.
But I didn't say a word. I just clutched the pendant at my throat and nodded.
I finished the chicken wings and waited. And waited. But my father never came home.
Bored, I cracked my door open. My mother was standing on the balcony, on the phone. The apartment was silent. I could hear every word.
"I told you, this is the last time," she said, her voice shaking with rage. "My System is taking me away. Are you coming or not?"
My father's voice on the other end was a cold sneer. "I told you, Seraphina's daughter has a fever today. I can't leave. And stop threatening me with your System. It doesn't work on me. It can take you home? Fine. Go. I don't believe you'd actually abandon Anya and go back to your own world."
My hand tightened on the doorknob.
I watched my mother lower the phone, defeated.
A soft, static crackle filled the air. The System had appeared on its own. It sounded almost embarrassed, its voice low.
"I apologize for the intrusion, Host. I am here to remind you. You have ten minutes before you must detach from this world. For the sake of a clean narrative resolution, your departure must be facilitated through the method of death."
My mother didn't speak. She turned and looked at me. Then she slowly walked over, a sad smile on her face. She pulled me into a fierce hug and kissed my cheek.
A single tear fell onto my skin.
"Anya," she whispered. "Go back to your room and sleep now."
Ten minutes later, I was sitting on my bed, wrapped in a blanket.
A shadow fell past my window.
5
Was I sad?
Of course. But more than that, I was relieved for her.
My mom was finally going home.
Even though I was only eight, I could tell how unhappy she was. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and find her sitting on her bed, crying silently in the dark.
I think if it weren't for me, she would have left a long time ago.
I don't know what her world was like, but it couldn't be worse than this one. There, she could be free. She could be whatever she wanted to be.
Before she was my mother, she was herself.
Maybe that's why, when the police officer told me my mother had jumped to her death, I didn't cry. I didn't show any sadness. I didn't say a word.
I just stood there like a cold, unfeeling machine.
I heard whispers around me.
"Is that really the mother who killed herself?"
"She seems so calm."
"She doesn't look like a normal seven or eight-year-old. Is there something wrong with her?"
I looked up.
Mike was there.
His eyes were red, and he was shaking as he walked toward me.
He raised his hand.
And slapped me across the face.
"She told you the System was taking her away. Anya. Didn't you even try to stop her? You haven't shed a single tear. Is your blood cold?"
6
The police had called him.
At first, he refused to believe my mother would actually leave. He argued with them on the phone for a long time.
It wasn't until he arrived and saw the body under the white sheet that the reality crashed down on him.
My father completely fell apart.
I had never seen him like that. So broken, so pathetic, so full of disbelief. He was a man with endless money, the master of a billion-dollar empire. But in that moment, he was just a man crying with regret and cowardice.
He didn't dare pull back the sheet. He was afraid. Afraid to see her face. Afraid to be reminded that he had missed his last chance to see her.
He couldn't accept it.
So when someone tried to comfort him, reminding him that he still had a child, my father finally remembered. Oh, right. I have a daughter.
He stood up.
And turned his rage on me.
"Why didn't you keep her here? Why? Couldn't you have cried? Begged? Pleaded with her? Were you mute?"
7
Mike didn't take me home with him.
I may have only been eight, but I wasn't stupid. I could see the coldness, the distance, the pure hatred in his eyes.
From that day on, he wanted nothing to do with me.
I only saw him a few days a month, when I was sent to the old family mansion. Most of the time, I lived in my mother's old apartment, cared for by a nanny.
He didn't even come for my ninth birthday.
It was my first birthday without my mother.
The nanny was already asleep in her room. I was all alone. I wanted to call Mike, but I was afraid of bothering him.
So I just sat on the floor, going through the presents my mother had given me over the years.
And that's when it happened.
I discovered that I could connect to the System, too.
A strange voice emanated from the jade pendant around my neck.
"Hello, Host. I am System 0231, taking over for System 0230. My files indicate that today is your birthday."
8
???
Host?
I froze.
"Me?" I whispered. "I'm a Host? I get my own System?"
It took a moment to sink in. I fumbled with the clasp and took the pendant off. The voice was definitely coming from it.
It sounded like a boy, maybe a teenager, with a clear, deep voice. He was different from my mother's System. Less serious, and much gentler.
He paused for a moment before answering me.
"Yes. This is because of your mother, Elara. She was an exceptional agent. She gave more, and lost more, than most. According to regulations, she earned tens of millions of mission points, which could have been converted into cash and taken back to her original world"
"But she gave it all up."
"Your mother said she was afraid you would be lonely, that you would be sad, that no one would take care of you so instead of taking anything for herself, she chose to leave a System for you, too."
"She hoped you would feel like she was still with you."
9
I clutched the pendant.
And finally, the tears came.
I hadn't cried when my mother left. But now, I couldn't stop them.
The reality hit me with the force of a physical blow.
My mother was really gone. And she had left me everything she possibly could.
The System asked, "Host, would you like to make a birthday wish?"
I wiped my tears.
I clasped my hands together and said, each word deliberate, "I hope my mom is happy and joyful in her world."
After a long pause, I added another wish, in a voice so quiet it was barely a whisper.
"And I hope my father knows it wasn't my fault my mom died. I'm not a bad kid. I hope he stops hating me."
10
My father seemed to forget he had a daughter.
For the first few years, he'd still have me over to the mansion occasionally. But eventually, even that stopped.
The rumors said he had gotten back together with herthe woman who had driven my mother away. He bought a beautiful penthouse near his office and moved Seraphina and her daughter in.
Time passes. Nothing stays the same.
When my mother died, Mike had knelt on the ground, consumed by a regret so powerful it seemed it would swallow him whole.
Now, even my nanny had heard the news.
After serving my dinner, she gently stroked my hair. She hesitated, then tried to comfort me.
"It's okay, miss. The master has just lost his way. Once he figures things out, everything will be alright."
Figures things out?
I wasn't holding my breath.
I just wished I just wished I would never have to see Seraphina and Lora again.
But it seemed even that simple wish was too much to ask for.
11
At fifteen, I tested into the city's top high school.
Two weeks into the semester, Mike pulled some strings and got Lorawho hadn't even passed the standard entrance examsa spot in my class.
A Rolls-Royce dropped her off at the school gates. She was decked out in designer clothes from head to toe, looking every bit the part of a true heiress.
She instantly became the center of attention.
"Oh my god, are those the limited-edition sneakers?"
"Is that an Herms bag?"
"She's so rich. Does anyone know whose daughter she is?"
As if hearing their whispers, Lora stood at the front of the class, a small smile playing on her lips, and began her introduction.
"Well, my family is okay, I guess. You've probably heard of them. My dad is Mike Reed, the CEO of Reed Corp. My mom is his childhood sweetheart. My dad loves my mom so much, he even let me take her last name."
After she finished, dozens of heads swiveled in my direction.
On the school's mandatory family information form, under the "Father" section, I had also written "Mike Reed."
The class president had glanced at my form when he collected it. "Mike Reed? The billionaire? Then why are your clothes so plain? And I've never seen anyone drop you off or pick you up. Are you really his only daughter?"
Under the weight of their questioning stares, I had lowered my head, clutching my pencil. "Yes," I'd whispered. "But he's very busy really, really busy."
Now, looks of dawning comprehension spread across their faces.
The whispers started again.
"Liar."
"How pathetic. Why would someone pretend to be someone else's daughter? Is she ashamed of her own dad?"
"Awkward. Getting called out by the real thing."
"Hilarious."
The cruel laughter washed over me. I was just about to go numb when the boy sitting behind me suddenly stood up.
He slammed his hand on his desk.
"Is this really necessary? Who cares who her parents are? It's none of your business!"
12
I was always quiet, always kept to myself. That was the first day I learned his name.
Leo.
He had one of the top scores in the city. He was smart, popular, and came from a wealthy family. He was a ray of sunshine. His father ran a media conglomerate.
His outburst silenced the class.
The teacher finally arrived, blissfully unaware of the drama. "Find an empty seat so we can get started," he told Lora.
The "real" heiress smiled sweetly. She walked down the aisle and stopped next to Leo.
"Can I be your deskmate?" she asked, her voice soft and cloying. "Please?"
13
After school, Leo caught up with me.
I didn't understand why a rich kid like him would insist on riding the crowded city bus with me, getting jostled by commuters, just to explain something so trivial.
"The teacher made her sit next to me," he said, breathless. "There weren't many other empty seats. It's not like I wanted her to"
I just nodded.
He glanced at me, trying to read my expression.
"I saw your exam scores. Your math is a little weak. I could help you, if you want. I'm pretty good at it."
After a moment of silence, he scratched his nose and asked casually, "So, Anya why did you write that on the form?"
Oh. So he thought I was a liar, just like everyone else.
But for some reason, in that moment, I refused to let it go.
I turned and looked him straight in the eye.
"Why? Because Mike Reed is my biological father. My mother was his legal wife. According to the law, whose name am I supposed to write? I think I'm being a lot more honest than some people."
The bus screeched to a halt at my stop. I didn't look at Leo again. I just pushed my way through the crowd and got off.
But to my surprise, he followed me.
His house was still another thirty minutes away.
He ran after me, grabbing my sleeve. He looked so guilty, like he knew he'd messed up. He kept apologizing.
"Please forgive me, Anya. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad, okay?"
14
I didn't have many friends in high school. For three years, I was basically an outcast. Lora had her own little clique, and her mother, Seraphina, had somehow gotten a seat on the school's board of directors. So even though Lora's grades were terrible, no one dared to cross her.
Only Leo, who came from an equally powerful family, paid her no mind.
And only he ignored the stares and the whispers and always chose to be with me.
We walked to and from the bus stop together. We studied together.
I was so used to being alone that I was cold to him at first.
He'd often look at me with puppy-dog eyes. "Anya, are you still mad at me for what I said that first day? You can hit me if it'll make you feel better."
Eventually, I softened. And as I did, he talked more and more.
"Let's go see a movie this weekend."
"My dad's client gave us some concert tickets. Are you interested?"
"There's a new barbecue place downtown everyone's talking about. Wanna try it? My treat."
In our final semester, with the college entrance exams looming, he brought it up casually one day.
"Anya, where are you applying to college? Let's go to the same city."
He grinned, his eyes bright and confident. "Because I think I'm starting to, uh, like you. A lot. So, what do you say? College together?"
My head snapped up. I stared at him, stunned.
The sunlight was streaming through the window, dappling our desks. A breeze rustled the pages of my workbook.
I had no idea how to respond.
After a long moment, I twisted the pen in my fingers and mumbled, "You know we can get in trouble for talking about this stuff at school."
Leo just threw his head back and laughed. He reached out and ruffled my hair.
"Okay. I'll save those words for after graduation then. The day our exams are over, you wait for me. I'll come find you, Anya."
In that moment, I reached out my hand. I thought I had caught the sunlight.
It was only later, looking back, that I realized the light had never been shining on me at all.
15
That night, I took out my pendant and told the System everything about Leo.
He had told me he'd be busy for a while, dealing with something important, but that I could leave him messages. He'd investigate any questions I had when he got back.
Over the years, even with the nanny, the System had become my constant companion. He taught me everythinghow to ride a bike, how to cook instant noodles, how to use the washing machine.
I held the pendant and whispered, "What do you think of Leo?"
There was no answer. The System wasn't back yet.
"I think he's pretty great," I said to myself. "After the exams, I'll go find him."
Leo and I were at different testing centers. After my last exam, I got on the bus and followed my usual route home, piecing together the location of his house from the little details he'd let slip in our conversations.
There was only one gated community of mansions in that area.
I stood outside the main gate and pulled out my phone. I was going to call him. He had said he would find me after the exams. But if I went to find him it was the same thing, right?
I found his number and was just about to press call when I heard his voice.
It came from just a short distance away.
"What are you doing here? I told you I was busy today."
My head snapped up.
A girl was standing in front of him, laughing. "Busy with what? Going to find that bastard's daughter?"
It was Lora.
16
They were standing inside the gates of the community, separated from me by a world of wrought iron.
Leos brow was furrowed in annoyance. "Are you serious? You can't actually be falling for her, can you? We had a deal. Just play around with her, make her fall for you, and then dump her hard."
Lora took a step forward and poked him in the shoulder. "Don't forget, Leo. You and I are the ones who grew up together. And your dad's company still does business with mine, so don't get any ideas, big shot"
Leo's face darkened. He stepped back, putting distance between them. After a long moment, he bit out a single, clipped word. "Leave."
I clutched my phone, suddenly grateful I hadn't made that call. How humiliating would that have been?
Lora pouted, then huffed. She started to walk away, then turned back. "Fine, fine, have it your way. But don't forget, our families are having dinner tonight to celebrate. You can't bail on that."
17
I rode the bus home alone.
All along the route, there were banners celebrating the end of the exams. The bus passed a bakery with a sale sign in the window. I got off and went inside, choosing a simple cream cake with no decorations.
The girl at the counter saw my school uniform and smiled. "Just finished your exams? Buying a cake to celebrate? Or is it for a birthday? Do you want me to write anything on it?"
If she hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten myself.
Tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday.
For years, my birthdays had been quiet affairs. My mother was gone, my father was absent, and I had no friends. It was always just me, the nanny, and the System. But this year, the nanny was sick and had gone back to her hometown, and the System was away.
My coming-of-age ceremony was shaping up to be just like the rest of my life.
Lonely and quiet.
I managed a small smile and shook my head. "No, thank you. It's just for a post-dinner snack."
That was the night I received the video call from Lora.
My screen filled with her face, then my father's, then Leo's. They were all there, like a real family, sitting together, celebrating the end of the exams, celebrating the bright futures of their children.
Loras voice was a triumphant sneer. "Look, it's the jinx who killed her own mom."
Mikes was a cold dismissal. "Don't bother with her. She's bad luck."
The call ended abruptly.
And in the sudden silence, I heard a voice I hadn't heard in months.
It was the System.
"Host, I'm back."
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