Rift in the perfect picture

Hearing Claudia from the phone, Dr. Edmund concurred. “If the patient is having a strong reaction, it’s better not to provoke them. It’s best to have someone they trust to take them to the hospital to make the consultation easier for the specialists.

“Otherwise, the patient might resist strongly even if we bring them in, and they may not cooperate…”

I listened to him in silence. If I had chosen to believe Nicholas when I first found out that he was on medication instead of thinking he was deceiving me, I might have been the one he trusted, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.

He was Nicholas, after all. He’d always been the person I had looked up to since childhood. How could he

be sick?

But he was Nicholas! He was known for his exceptional tolerance and had grown to value and master the art of indifference. So, how could I have seen through his impeccable façade?

Claudia’s phone suddenly rang. It was the hospital. The voice on the other end was particularly frantic. Ms. Quirk, Mr. Hawk is on the rooftop!”

I felt my heart stop. The already narrow space fell into instant silence, and even the sound of our breathing became subdued. My heart was lodged in my throat as the scene from my dreams flashed in my mind again.

The car stopped in front of a white building, and its desolate surroundings appeared very unsettling. Thinking that Nicholas had been alone in this place for months filled me with guilt.

Claudia was right. I had been very harsh to him, including yesterday. He shouldn’t have been in the abyss, yet I pushed him into it.

“Look!” someone shouted, pointing at the sky.

I looked up, and my heart immediately sank. I nearly fainted when I saw the scene before me.

With his head hung low, Nicholas was standing on the rooftop. The loose hair on his forehead covered his entire face, so not even a single ray of sunlight could reach him despite the sunny weather.

“Nicholas! Come down!” I shouted with all my might, but the wind was too strong and the building was too tall–he couldn’t even hear me.

Just like in my dream, he wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his scarred and bloodied arms. The contrast between the shade of red and his pristine shirt was glaring.

He stood there, looking utterly hopeless and unapproachable as if he had locked himself in a small glass dome.

“Nicholas…”

Once my numb legs finally regained sensation, I staggered forward, attempting to run toward the building where Nicholas was.

‘Neal, hurry up and call for help!” I cried out, looking at Neal imploringly.

“Don’t go. Let her go instead!” Neal said, grabbing my arm and glancing at Claudia.Original from NôvelDrama.Org.

“How can I get up there like this?” Claudia raised her hands, the handcuffs looking out of place on her delicate wrists.

Neal was more cautious than I was. “Shut up! Aside from you, no one here has anything to do with him!”

As he spoke, he dragged me back toward the police car. Recollecting myself, I realized perhaps Neal was afraid I would provoke Nicholas again.

My right hand unconsciously fell on my abdomen as I looked at Claudia and said, “Tell your brother that if he comes down, I will tell him a secret.”

“What is it?” she asked.