The Identity of the Mother

The grave is empty?

Denise looked at Jason in shock, "Are you out of your mind?"

"No, I'm not crazy." Jason shrugged. "If you want to verify it, I can help you open the grave, and you'll know."

"You'd better give me a convincing reason!" Denise stared at him, "This isn't a joke, as I've said, without sufficient reason, how could I possibly open the grave? After all, it's my mother's tomb. My father told me that he saw with his own eyes my mother lying inside before being buried."

"Maybe he got it wrong, or he simply didn't want to tell the truth!" Jason shook his head. "You're a smart girl. If you really need a reason, there's just one—"

"What is it?" Denise looked at him intently.

"Because of me!" Jason pointed gently at the grave that had lost its tombstone, "If I say it's empty, then it's empty. Because like you, I'm different from ordinary people. And… you also want to find the answer, don't you? This is your chance. Are you satisfied with this reason?"

Denise didn't respond, but she fixed her eyes on Jason. After a while, she finally relented, "Alright, you've convinced me. Let's get started!"

Jason nodded and produced two shovels out of nowhere, handing one to Denise. They started to dig the grave and soon the coffin was exposed.

"If you regret it now, there's still time." Jason said, after shoveling out the last bit of dirt.

"Open it, I'm not a person who goes back on my word. Once I've made up my mind, I will do it." Denise glanced at Jason disdainfully, "At this point, we can't back down."

Since there was no turning back, Jason simply nodded. Denise watched nervously as Jason forcefully lifted the coffin lid. The air was filled with a loud thud as the lid rolled away.

"Oh my god--"

Denise rushed to the edge of the grave and peered inside. She covered her mouth, aghast at the sight. She could hardly believe it.

"I won!" Jason shook his head, "Just as I thought, it's empty."

The coffin was empty, without a trace of anyone ever lying inside. If it was night, Denise might have been scared. But Jason jumped into the coffin and pulled out a small, unimpressive object, round and covered in rust.

Picking it up, he jumped out of the coffin. Denise's mother was not here.

The woman in the picture was not in the coffin. What was going on? Was she alive? Was her mother not dead? How could that be possible?

"I know you must have a million questions, but what we need to do now is restore everything to the way it was. We mustn't let anyone know we were here and disturbed this grave." Jason said, covering up the coffin and reattaching the tombstone.

While he worked, Denise sat quietly, deep in thought. Once he was done, he joined her, saying nothing, merely waiting.

When the sun began to set and a breeze blew over, Denise seemed to regain her senses. But then her face crumbled as if on the verge of a breakdown.

"Stop overthinking, let's go!" Jason stretched out a hand to her, pulling her towards the road without waiting for her response.

Once they were in the car, Jason turned to her and said, "If you want to cry, then let it out! It might be better for you."

Denise suddenly looked up at him, "Why should I cry? I stopped crying a long time ago. Do you know why? Because I have no attachments. Think about it... I am really pitiful, living in a world of lies. It's like living in the Truman Show..."

"That's a virtual reality, and now... you're facing the real reality." Jason couldn't help shaking his head, "If you can still smile and seek the truth at this moment, I'll be surprised—"

Before he could finish, Denise turned to him and gave him a small smile, "Is that so? I can do it! So tell me, is this change for the better, or for the worse?"

Jason paused, looking at her genuine smile, surprising him with her inner strength. He nodded approvingly, "Of course, it's for the better. Congratulations, Denise. You've made progress."

They drove back to Denise's house in silence. It was located on the outskirts of the only town nearby. Dropping Denise off, she told him, "Get out of the car, it's better to stay here than at a hotel. Besides... you can't possibly leave today. You need to let me figure things out before you go."

"Of course!" Jason agreed and parked the car.

Dinner was prepared by Denise. Living alone had made her an excellent cook, which was one of the advantages of her independent lifestyle.

"Don't speak, I know you have a lot of questions." After dinner, as they sat in the living room, Jason addressed Denise who was about to ask him something, "So... I can explain it to you slowly."

Denise went silent, looking at Jason with anticipation.

"I originally wanted to find a friend!" Jason began, "She also experienced some strange things, and then she went on a journey alone to find someone. I think she was trying to find her parents, or rather, to find the truth about herself. Like you, she has a mysterious background. But I think she's okay now, there's no rush."

"What's her name? Do you like her?" Denise asked.

"Sofia, and I can tell you now, she is almost the most beautiful woman in the world!" Jason laughed and then he told Denise everything Sofia had gone through.

After listening, Denise let out a long sigh, "If I hadn't experienced such strange things myself, I would certainly think you were talking nonsense, that you're crazy."

"And... about you!" Jason smiled, then looked seriously at Denise.

Denise sat up straight, looking at Jason, "Uh, yes, that's exactly what I was going to ask about. Tell me about me and my mother...Even though I've just met you, you must know something."

Instead of replying, Jason pulled out the rusty ring-like object he had found in the coffin. Holding it in his palm, he had already sensed a familiar aura from it.

"What is this?"

"This is something left by your mother." Jason said, "I found it in the coffin, but...for me, it's very important. It concerns my future life..."

"If you think it's important, you keep it." Denise shrugged, "Can you now tell me about me and my mother?"

Jason nodded solemnly, "Your mother might have been a witch—"

"What—" Denise exclaimed in shock.