"Luca! Luca! Wake up, it's urgent!" shouted Kim, desperately shaking my shoulder, rousing me from my restless sleep.

Since the kidnapping incident, every night had become a struggle to find rest. I straightened up, my head still heavy.

"What's the matter, Kim? Why are you screaming like that?" growled I, trying to sit up.

"It's William! Someone's come to adopt him!"

"What?! Are you sure of what you're saying?"

"Yes, it's the matron who asked me to come and get you. She wants us to say goodbye with the others... wait, where are you going?"

I rushed out of bed, my heart pounding.

This couldn't be happening. In my previous life, no one had come to adopt a child from this orphanage, least of all William. There had to be some mistake.

As I reached the exit door, I saw William surrounded by a few children and the matron. Beside him was an old man in luxurious clothes, apparently the one who had come to adopt him.

Noticing my presence, William detached himself from the group and walked towards us.

"Hi twins!" he said, smiling as if nothing had happened.

"William, can you explain?" asked I, breathless.

"I know it's sudden, but don't forget we're in an orphanage. Sooner or later, someone would come for me," he replied nonchalantly, pointing to the old man behind him.

"And you accept that?" asked I, incredulous.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he's rich"

"…"

This wasn't the William I knew. Sure, he'd always been interested in money, but never to the point of selling out his own person.

"And don't forget your objective, Luca," he added suddenly.

"My objective?"

William moved a little closer still, lowering his voice so that only Kim and I could hear. "Yes, your objective. We all have reasons to be here, reasons to fight. Don't let my leaving distract you from what you need to accomplish."

I remained silent, for indeed I have well and truly an objective, which is to save my brother from his illness.

"Take care of yourself, Kim," he said, turning to my brother. "And look after Luca. He'll need you."

Kim nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. "Come back soon, okay?"

William smiled and nodded. "Promise."

Then he turned back to the old man, exchanged a few words with him. Kim and I stood there, dumbfounded.

"By the way, I left you a present at our base," he said before getting into the car and driving away.

Our base? I assume he's talking about the abandoned house where we stored the money.

Kim snapped me out of my torpor. "Luca, we should go and see what William left behind."

I nodded, still puzzled. "Yes, let's."

We set off towards the abandoned house. The drive seemed longer than usual, my mind muddled with unanswered questions.

Why had William agreed to this adoption? What had changed from my previous life?

Arriving at the abandoned house, we entered cautiously. Daylight struggled to penetrate the dirty windows, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

We went straight to our usual hiding place, an old cupboard at the back of the main room.

Kim opened the cupboard and shrieked in surprise. Inside, a small wooden box adorned with delicate engravings awaited us. I took it and opened it carefully.

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Inside was a letter and a bundle of bills far larger than anything we'd collected so far.

I unfolded the letter and read it aloud:

"Dear Luca and Kim,

I know this all seems sudden, but it was necessary. There are things you can't understand right now. You must trust me. Use this money to cure Kim's illness.

William"

I felt a lump form in my throat.

How had he gotten all that money?

Had he stolen it?

The questions swirled in my head as I deciphered every word of the letter.

Kim, still in shock, murmured, "What are we going to do now?" Her eyes shone with emotion, a mixture of confusion and gratitude.

I took a deep breath, staring at the bills.

"We're going to take his advice. We're going to use this money to heal you." My words were resolute, even as uncertainty gnawed at me inwardly.

Kim nodded. "Agreed. But we're also going to try to find William, aren't we?"

I shook my head gently. "No, forget it. We'd only be in the way. You saw him right, didn't you?" replied I.

"Since the beginning, William has never stopped taking risks for us. It's best to leave him alone."

Kim lowered his eyes, fighting back tears. "Yes, you're right," he said finally.

We remained silent for a moment, reflecting on everything that had just happened.

The orphanage was quiet, almost too peaceful, contrasting with the turmoil in my mind.

I was still struggling to come to terms with the reality of this sanctuary-generated world. It all seemed so real, yet I knew it was only a test.

"Kim, I'm going to promise you something," I said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"No matter what happens, I'm going to make sure you get the treatment you need."

For now let's forget William, after all it's not the real thing. Besides, I'm here to find out whether or not I can save my brother.

Kim looked at me, her eyes filled with determination. "I trust you, Luca. We'll make it."

It was time for me to finish this fourth ordeal of the sanctuary.

…

…

Decades have passed since we parted ways with William.

"Luca, what are you doing standing there?" shouted Kim.

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned my head to my brother. "Nothing, just thinking," I replied.

As you can see, I managed to save my brother. Thanks to the money left by William, Kim was able to receive the treatment he needed. It was a turning point in our lives.

In spite of this, there are events that I haven't been able to change. Our father is in prison, and our mother is in a psychiatric hospital. Throughout these decades, these realities have persisted, unrelenting.

My father continued to accumulate debt, not to save us, but for his own pleasures. One day, the government came to demand his money. My father refused and ended up in prison. His selfish and irresponsible actions left us alone at an age when we still needed guidance and protection.

As for my mother, she divorced him before my father took her down with him, perhaps hoping to find a new chance with someone else.

I don't know what happened in her new life, but a few months later she was found in a psychiatric hospital, where she remains to this day.

Our parents abandoned us, but that didn't stop Kim and me from building a better life.

The money William left us was a turning point for us. We used it not only to care for Kim, but also to invest in our education.

Kim became a doctor, specializing in rare disease research, perhaps inspired by his own experience.

Me, I became a lawyer, determined to help those who, like us, often find themselves defenseless in a world that can be unforgiving.

"You're still thinking about him, aren't you?" said Kim as she approached me.

"Yes," I replied.

Even though I think about William often, there's something wrong.

In all these years, there has been no manifestation from the shrine to tell me that the ordeal is over. Perhaps I'll have to go back to zero to face my trauma.

However, for this to happen, I must die, and I have no intention of doing so. The pain is incomparable to any torture in this world.

For the time being, I've decided to wait for the end of my life here and pass the ordeal next time. For now, let's enjoy this present moment."

We were leaving a building and heading for home when suddenly...

"Luca, look."

Kim stopped me as I pulled on my shirt and pointed to a TV in a window broadcasting news. The headline read, "A criminal is being tried for the death penalty and will be executed in an electric chair next week."

"Is there a problem?" asked I, confused.

"Look at the criminal, doesn't that remind you of anyone?"

Squinting, I saw that it was William, the criminal.

What's happened to him? Why did he find himself in this situation?

Despite the years that have passed, William's face is still etched in my mind. There he is, handcuffed, taken away by the police before he gets into the car.

"They said it's next week. Let's pay him a quick visit and see if we can do something," I said.

But Kim wasn't following me.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"The problem is, I have to operate on someone in an hour, so I won't be able to make it," Kim said before adding, "Don't worry about me. Go and see William instead. According to the information, he's in another city."

I nodded, determined. "All right, I'll be going. I'll see you later."

I rented a car directly to leave, as there were no flights scheduled and the transport buses were already full. It was the only way to get there on time.

All along the way, memories of our childhood and its sacrifices came flooding back.

William had always been there for us, taking foolish risks to ensure our safety and well-being. I wondered what could have led him to such extremes.

After several hours on the road, punctuated by a few speeding fines, I finally arrived at the prison where William was being held.

The big building, austere and intimidating, seemed to stand like an impregnable fortress. My heart was pounding at the thought of seeing William again after all these years.

After many checks and procedures, I was finally allowed to speak with him.

"Detainee N-227, you are requested!" shouted a guard.

I was ushered into an austere waiting room, separated by thick glass. Sitting there, I waited, anguish rising inside me.

Moments later, William entered, handcuffed and flanked by two guards. His body was covered in tattoos, and his eyes, once bright with innocence, were now razor-sharp.

Despite the years and the fatigue visible on his face, the person before me was well and truly William.