Chapter 48
I stood there, frozen, staring at the old man. "Have you gotten what you’ve longed for in the form of your friends?" he asked, his eyes locked on me. I nodded slowly, still in disbelief.
How could everything happen so fast? Just a moment ago, I was thinking of them, and now here they were. Louis and Hannah stood before me, smiling, but something felt off. I couldn’t shake the unease creeping up my spine.
"Are you really here?" I whispered, reaching out to touch them. But as soon as my hand moved forward, they vanished into thin air, like smoke being blown away. I gasped, stumbling back in shock.
"They... they were just here!" My voice trembled as I looked around, hoping they’d return. But there was nothing. Just empty space where they had been.
The old man stood quietly, watching me with a knowing look. "What you saw were illusions," he said calmly.
I blinked, confused. "Illusions? Like... like my father?" The realization hit me like a wave. I remembered how my father had appeared earlier, and how real it had felt. But now I wasn’t so sure.
"Yes," he confirmed, nodding. "Your father, Louis, Hannah... they were all created from your mind. Your desires brought them into existence."
I was stunned. "But why? Why would I create them? They seemed so real!"
"Because your heart longs for them. When you’re in pain, you wish for the people you love most to be with you. It’s natural. But you must learn to control this power, or it will control you."