Chapter 5: Pearls of Silence

Late that night, In a quiet corner of the apartment, Rena sat curled up on the couch, lost in thought. The room was quiet—until a soft knock echoed through the hallway.

Dr. Li entered with a concerned expression. He was their family Doctor. He had come under the pretense of checking Risa's condition, but truthfully, his feelings for Rena had grown deeper over time. He couldn’t hide the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.

They were quietly speaking near the window, Rena’s voice low, burdened by the events of the day. She spoke of humiliation, uncertainty, and the search for the pendant. Dr. Li listened patiently, occasionally giving quiet reassurance.

Suddenly, a scream tore through the stillness.

"Riya!" Risa’s voice rang out from the other room.

In another room Riya tossed and turned in bed, her mind slipping into a nightmarish memory she couldn’t escape. Her parents were tied up and bound by rough ropes. Shadows loomed—men in black clothing, one of them unmistakably her uncle, his face twisted in cruelty.

She clutched her coat tighter,

A gunshot echoed.

Time slowed.

A figure moved fast—her twin, Riya, stepped in front of her.

The bullet struck Riya in the chest.

Blood bloomed like a flower. Riya’s body fell to the ground.

“No!” Risa screamed.

"Riya!" she screamed and woke up from the dream.

Rena and Dr. Li rushed to find Risa sitting up, drenched in sweat, trembling. Her eyes were wide with terror.

“She was shot… I tried to protect her… they tied our parents... the gun… Uncle... I—” her words became frantic sobs.

Rena grabbed her shoulders gently. “Risa, it’s okay. It was a dream. Just a dream.”

But Risa wasn't hearing her. She grabbed a sharp object nearby, her panic spiraling. “I have to save her! She’s hurt—I saw it!”

Before she could harm herself, Dr. Li quickly stepped forward and gave her a mild sedative. Risa’s body slackened as she drifted into sleep, her breaths still shaky.

Rena sat beside her sister’s bed, brushing damp hair from her forehead. Her hands trembled.

“She’s… she’s breaking down,” Rena whispered, eyes welling up.

Dr. Li placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “It’s the trauma… the mind can play cruel tricks, especially with twins. Her brain is blending her identity with Riya’s.”

“But it’s so real,” Rena said, voice cracking. “Sometimes, I can’t even tell if it’s Risa or Riya talking. She even acts like her. Is that… normal?”

Dr. Li’s face was serious. “This is a special case. Shared trauma, psychological fusion… her mind is protecting itself. But with care, she can heal.”

Rena hesitated, then asked, “And Riya?

Dr. Li looked away, his silence louder than any word.

Rena’s heart sank. She didn’t need an answer. She could see it in his eyes. Riya was in a coma and her condition has not improved .

Tears slid silently down her cheeks, each one like a fallen pearl.

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