Please Forget Me - Chapter 253

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

His features were so similar to Killian’s that they could easily be mistaken for brothers, yet his entire demeanor was completely different. I recognized him instantly as the man I’d seen in my dreams.

“You still haven’t gotten over Dana.”

“I have. A long time ago.”

“No, you haven’t. If you had, why would you keep getting in the way between us?”

“I’m not getting in the way. I’m just being there for her as a friend.”

“Dana’s friend?”

He was the man who had argued with Killian about me in my dream.

‘All this time, I’d assumed it was just a dream—just a product of my imagination.’

Like the affair of ‘young Dana’ and ‘Johann.’’

“Don’t tell Rupert.”

Because of that dream, I’d always called this stranger, who looked so much like Killian, “Rupert” in my mind.

‘Wait, did Killian ever actually say that man’s name in that dream where they were fighting?’

Even as I was running, following Killian, my mind was racing back through the fragments of that dream. And suddenly, I realized something.

‘…Wait. Didn’t Rupert say I was his woman?’

And Killian hadn’t even denied it. That’s when things got really confusing for me. Was that dream actually a memory?

“Let go of Dana!”

Just as ‘Rupert’ shouted those words—confirming there was some sort of connection between him and me—Killian suddenly stopped, released my hand, and turned to face him.

In a flash, both of Killian’s hands were up, each holding a pistol, aiming at the officer in the window.

“No! Don’t!”

If he shot a fellow soldier, there’d be no turning back. I flung myself at Killian’s arm just as—

Bang!

The gunshot echoed through the narrow alley. The officer ducked below the window just in time, and the bullet only shattered a roof tile.

“Hah…”

“Damn it…”

A mix of relief and despair washed over us—mine, because no one was hurt, and Killian’s, because of what almost happened. At least he didn’t try to fire again.

“Stop right there!”

The military police began chasing us, and we had to run again. Darting through the maze of alleyways, my lungs were burning and my legs started to give out, but when I glanced back, the soldiers were still keeping up easily. Panic welled up inside me.

“At this rate, we’re going to get caught!”

“Just hold on a bit longer!”

“I don’t want you to get caught because of me! Just leave me behind!”

I tried to pull my arm free, but Killian only gritted his teeth and pulled me closer, wrapping an arm tightly around my waist and half-carrying me as we ran.

‘We’re never going to make it…’

But to my surprise, our pursuers began to fall behind, one by one. Killian must have memorized this tangled maze of alleyways during the last four days, because he skillfully twisted and turned, outsmarting the soldiers at every junction.

When we finally lost the last of our pursuers, we found ourselves in an unfamiliar part of the city. We didn’t dare ask anyone for directions—that would only create witnesses.

So we headed for the nearest train tracks and started walking. At last, I could catch my breath and take a sip of water.

“How did they find us?”

How could they have discovered what happened in Eisenthal so soon? And how did they know exactly where to find us?

“I have a guess.”

That was all Killian said. The look on his face as he stared down the tracks was so grim, I didn’t dare press him further.

After a while, we found a small, deserted train station. When a train finally arrived about an hour later, we got on. Thankfully, there was no sign of anyone chasing us.

When most of the passengers got off at a large city surrounded by towering spires and fir trees, we followed the crowd and left the train as well.

“Wait here for a moment.”

He led me into the station, settled me in a quiet corner of the waiting room, and went straight to the public phone booth across the way.

‘He must be calling his brother… ‘

But could it be that Killian’s brother was the one who reported us to the military? All I could do was anxiously watch Killian through the glass of the phone booth, hoping that wasn’t the case.

He began talking with someone, and even though I couldn’t hear the conversation, his expression said it all. He pinched the bridge of his nose, ran a hand roughly through his hair, and glared at the wall with murder in his eyes.

At one point, he was so angry he actually punched the booth.

When he finally spat out a few words and slammed down the receiver, he looked completely devastated. He trudged over and collapsed beside me and I asked.

“What happened? What did your brother say?”