2 Tell Me Your Wish

Over the years he had accompanied his sister to concerts, grumbling on the outside and very reluctant, but on the inside, he had enjoyed every moment of it.

Today, he was going to finally see BTS, the worldwide phenomenon. His sister had been nagging him about it as soon as the concert was announced and after much "coaxing" from her, he had very reluctantly agreed to accompanying her.

Of course, they had paid for the most expensive ticket. They had money, so why not spend it and get the most out of it, is what he had said in response to her curious queries.

Alistair was almost certain that Erika knew he was a fan and was only putting up front. But until the day she caught him red handed, he would deny it until his death. After all he did not want to be associated with those crazy sasaeng fans, also he would rather not be given strange looks by the ignorant majority.

It was just like how he told the few women he dated that he liked to play video games. Some had given him those pretentious looks, that more or less suggested, "Eww… what a nerd."

Those were the women he immediately dumped. Who were they to judge his lifestyle and what he liked? Alistair sighed. He was a bit of a coward and hypocrite. He would admit loudly and proudly his love for video games but would not do the same for K-pop.

Even after all it had done for him.

Alistair was suddenly jolted out of his daydream by the bus suddenly braking hard. He reflexively turned towards Erika and wrapped her in a hug as the bus began to flip on its side. The bus skidded along the road and continued to roll a couple of times before it came to a stop after colliding with several parked cars on the side of the road.

Alistair felt pain. Immense pain from all over his body. He coughed out a mouthful of blood before looking down at the most precious thing in his life still wrapped safely in his arms. He sighed in relief as it appeared, she had not suffered any serious injuries.

His arms felt weak. They drooped to his side, as he felt his vision start to darken. He smiled as he saw his sister's face. He could not hear what she was shouting, but he could read her lips clearly.

"Big Brother. Big Brother. Don't leave me. Why? Why? Please…"

With the remaining strength in his body he could only mumble a few words, "Erika, I will always be here with you. I love you…"

Amidst the wreckage of the bus, a girl about the age of fifteen, clutched onto the cooling body of her brother. Weeping and begging for a miracle.

At that moment, a shooting star flashed across the darkening sky. Perhaps some divine deity had heard the earnest wishes of a pure hearted maiden.

Time froze and a crack in space and time opened. Out of the rip stepped out a blonde-haired bombshell of a beauty. She paused mid-step and looked out across the carnage allayed before her with a furrowed brow, before her eyes zoned in on the weeping girl, clutching onto a dead body.

"Little girl. It is your lucky day. I happened to cross by, and I am in a good mood. Tell me your wish. I shall grant it."

Erika was jolted out of her despair as she looked up in confusion. When did the world become so silent? Why was nobody else moving? What was going on? A slew of thoughts crossed her mind.

Her eyes widened upon seeing the Goddess before her. "Wow. You're so beautiful." She could not help but compliment.

The woman's eyes lit up and she gave a bright smile in response.

"Thank you, very much, my dear. So, what would you like me to do? Bring your brother back?"

Erika did not believe in the supernatural, gods, miracles, ghosts or an afterlife, but in this moment, she could not help but cling to this possibility, however unlikely or remote it seemed. The woman before her gave off an aura of reliability and she could not help but trust her.

"Can you really? Is there a cost?" Although Erika was only fifteen, she already knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world and she suspected that the woman would demand something in return. However, much to her surprise it was the opposite.

"No, there is nothing you need to pay me. I am doing this purely on a whim. I can see that you have lived a life of hardship and it reminds me of someone dear to me, so don't worry too much about it.

However, I must warn you, I cannot bring him back in this world. Every world is built upon a finite amount of possibilities and I am afraid your brother has already reached the end of the road in this one. If I were to forcefully bring him back in this world, this world could become incredibly unstable and disappear entirely from the space time continuum."

Erika nodded in response, it sounded reasonable, even though she could not really understand all of what the woman said.

"So, where will you bring him to?" she asked forlornly.

"There are many alternate worlds, this world you are in, is what many would call the canonical world, or the original timeline."

Erika smiled sadly and could not help but ask, "Can I come too?"

"The only way to free yourself from the shackles of this world, is death. Only upon your death can I interfere with your future." Before the woman even finished speaking, Erika hurriedly picked up a nearby shard of glass and without hesitation attempted to slit her throat.

The woman reacted very quickly, immediately stopping Erika before she could go through with the act.

"Silly girl, you should allow me to finish. It must be a natural death, it cannot be forced, suicide is not the answer. In fact, this world detests suicides and instead of freeing you, it will bind you tighter and reincarnate you. So, unless you wish to forget about your brother, I would ask you to refrain from such stupid actions in the future."

Erika began to cry once again. She did not know whether it was a blessing or a curse, to know that her brother would be alive, but be in a place so far away, so distant that she would never be able to see him again.

The woman walked over and patted Erika on the head, "Little girl, I don't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for you, but you only have a year left to live. Your heart is not in the best shape, in fact I am surprised you have lasted for so long. How about this, live out the rest of the year, and when you die, I will come and bring you to your brother. What do you say?"

Erika immediately jumped up, hugged and thanked the mysterious woman. She cried some more tears of joy, before she let go.

"Thank you. Thank you. I know you don't want anything in return. But, if you ever need me, I will be there."

The woman nodded in response, before she stepped back into the crack and it closed shut as the world resumed around Erika.

One year. Big Brother, please wait for me. I will be there.