By Zephyria 
“……?”
Nathaniel suddenly looked up and stared in one direction. He thought he had heard something. He listened intently with a furrowed brow, but the surroundings remained silent. Confirming the silence of the deep night once more, he sat on the bed, motionless for a moment.
“Haa.”
Despite the continued absence of any sound, Nathaniel let out a short sigh, placed the documents he had been reading on the side table, and stood up. Leaning on the cane kept by the bed, he began to walk toward a predetermined destination. He only needed to check if Chrissy was sleeping well. Knowing it was a meaningless act, he nonetheless left the room and headed toward the bedroom where Chrissy was.
The house was eerily quiet. In the midst of the stillness, only the monotonous sound of the cane striking the floor echoed rhythmically. After a few steps, he reached his destination and instinctively started to knock, but paused. It was pointless; the other would be asleep anyway. Nathaniel lowered his hand and instead gripped and turned the doorknob. In the silence, the sound of the door opening sounded ominous. Nathaniel paused for a moment before entering the room. Even as he leaned on his cane and headed toward the bed, he thought he was doing something useless. There was no way an intruder could be in a place with such tight security—what a pathetic thing to do.
Just as he thought that and let out a bitter smile.
……What is this?
Nathaniel frowned at the unexpected situation. The moment he saw the empty bed, he denied reality for a split second. He closed and opened his eyes, but nothing changed. Accepting a beat later that he wasn’t dreaming, Nathaniel confirmed once more that no one was in the bed and then turned his head. In the darkness, there was no sign of anyone’s presence anywhere. As he slowly looked around the room, meaningless objects came into view one by one. A tea table, a chair, a sofa, a cabinet, a dresser, and.
The built-in wardrobe.
Nathaniel stared blankly at the tightly closed door. Still, no sound could be heard. It was as if he were the only person in this space.
However, he was certain. This was it. The place where a terrified prey would hide.
Nathaniel moved his feet. With every step, the sound of the cane striking the floor—tap—echoed. Like the movement of a second hand, it broke the silence with precise timing. One step, then another.
Finally standing before the wardrobe, Nathaniel reached out. His fingers, which had loosely gripped the handle, tightened a beat later. Then, without hesitation, he flung the door open.
“Hieeeek…….”
The sound of a breath being sucked in, like a scream, was heard. As expected, Chrissy was there. With a pale face and his entire body trembling, he was pressed tightly against the inside of the wardrobe.
“Chrissy.”
Nathaniel’s voice flowed out like a sigh. The fact that he had found Chrissy, the question of why he was in such a place, and the incomprehensible reality of the situation tangled together, cluttering his mind.
“……Haa.”
After letting out a short sigh, he fixed his gaze on Chrissy again. It was already well past midnight. It was too late for hide-and-seek, and he was not at an age for such things.
“What on earth are you doing here? Come out now.”
Nathaniel said this as he leaned down. He reached out his hand to Chrissy as if telling him to take it and come out, but unexpectedly, Chrissy didn’t budge. Nathaniel instinctively frowned. Chrissy’s expression reflected in the darkness was somehow strange.
“Chrissy.”
It was just as he was about to urge him again to come out. Chrissy, trembling visibly all over, crawled further into the wardrobe. Since there was nowhere else to go, it would be more accurate to say he was rubbing his body against the wall. With his eyes wide open, he shook his head urgently.
“N-no, I don’t want to.”
His tone was like that of a small child. Nathaniel instinctively frowned, but Chrissy ignored him and continued to shout repeatedly, as if having a seizure.
“I don’t want to, stop it. Daddy, I don’t want to…….”
“Chrissy, get a hold of yourself. Come out here first.”
Nathaniel tried to calm him down, but it had the opposite effect. Seeing him repeat the same words while panting heavily, as if he couldn’t hear at all, Nathaniel changed his approach. He grabbed Chrissy’s arm to pull him out by force, but that was a grave mistake.
“N-no! Stop it, stop itaaa……!”
A shrill scream erupted. Nathaniel flinched at the violent struggling. Realizing he had instead provoked him, he let go, but it was already too late. Chrissy began to scream as if he had fallen into a complete panic.
“No, nooo, don’t touch me! I told you to stop! Mommy, Mommy…… I’m sorry, I was wrong. Please don’t do this. I’m scared, I’m scared…….”
For the first time in his life, Nathaniel was flustered. Not only was this situation a first, but it was also the first time he had no idea how to handle things.
“Chrissy.”
He called his name again, but that was the limit. While Nathaniel stood there awkwardly with his hand raised, unable to do anything, Chrissy continued to struggle and scream as if in a fit.
“Aaaagh! Go away, I don’t want to! Don’t touch me! I said I don’t want toooo! Mommy, Mommyyy!”
“Chrissy.”
“Nooo, help me…… Mommy…….”
Eventually, Chrissy burst into tears.
The surroundings were quiet. It seemed as if peace had returned, but that was not the case. Nathaniel felt an uncommon, extreme fatigue. Even when he stayed up for several nights preparing for a trial, he had never been this exhausted.
Whew.
He let out a sigh and looked down. Chrissy was asleep on the bed. The dried tear stains on his cheeks kept drawing his gaze. Nathaniel brushed back his hair with one hand, looking tired. He suddenly thought of whiskey, but to get some, he would have to leave the room. He didn’t feel right leaving Chrissy alone. After standing there contemplating for a moment, he gave up and slumped down onto the edge of the bed.
Chrissy remained asleep. Perhaps he had lost consciousness. Nathaniel looked down at Chrissy with a serious expression.
This is better than having a seizure like before.
It was a purely rational judgment, but for some reason, he didn’t like it. Something was missing. Why?
As he looked down at Chrissy with a furrowed brow, something else occurred to him.
Is it because of that incident, after all?
Looking back at the situation when he had rescued him, it was certain that he must have suffered a tremendous shock. With such an event, it was natural for trauma to develop. He hadn’t realized it during the day, but once night fell and he was alone, the wounds resurfaced. This, too, was a completely natural result. However, what bothered him was…….
Was that just now a memory of that day?
He could only think that the shock had revived memories from his most vulnerable years. If so, it must have been the time his father shot his mother. He had already had one seizure…….
The logic fit together too perfectly. What else could there be? Yes, that must be it. It should be. It surely is.
But why.
Nathaniel looked down at Chrissy with an unconvinced face.
Why did he feel as though something else remained?
“……Ugh.”
Suddenly, one cheek stung. Chrissy had scratched his cheek while struggling. Nathaniel thought of the first-aid kit in the bathroom, but soon dismissed the thought. Even though it would take only a moment—hardly five minutes—he gave up on leaving Chrissy’s side to treat the wound and chose instead to remain here.
……What on earth is this?
Unable to understand himself, he continued to sit there. Watching the face of the still-sleeping Chrissy, he remained motionless until the break of dawn.