After a long time, Dad finally came to take me home.

He gestured for me to go back to my room.

My room was a small storage space with no heating. This was the only room left for me because Dylan’s treatment supplies took up the entire house.

All the money has been spent on his treatment. Only his room had the heat turned on.

I curled up on my small bed. The warmth I had felt from Lily’s touch quickly faded away.

I could hear Mom’s tearful voice from Dylan’s room.

“Dylan, be good and take your medicine. You’ll feel better once you do.

“You’re my precious baby. I’ll make sure you live, even if I have to give you my life.”

Then, I heard Dad chime in, “That’s right, Dylan. Don’t be scared. We’re here.”

I curled up on my bed, listening to my parents’ warm voices. Tears of bitterness streamed down my face.

Numbers appeared on my wristband.

[Twelve hours.]

It was counting down.

Great! Soon, Dylan would live a long, long life!

…

I did not remember when I had fallen asleep, but I had a dream where I felt warm, as if I was in my mom’s arms.

When I woke up, my entire body felt like it had been torn apart. Many new wounds had appeared, and the pus stuck to my clothes.

I struggled to sit up. Only then did I see that my parents were downstairs playing in the snow with Dylan.

They were laughing happily. In the sunlight, Dylan’s snow-white hair and eyelashes made him look like he had stepped right out of a fairy tale.

I looked down at the bleeding wounds on my own body. My chest felt ice-cold, like the snowman had reached inside and squeezed my heart with its icy hand.

I kept saying to myself, “I’m not in pain. I’m not afraid of the pain!”

I endured the intense pain as I hastily threw on my winter coat. I then staggered and ran downstairs.

When Dylan saw me, his eyes lit up. It seemed like he had completely forgotten his breakdown from the day before.

“Ches, hurry! Come build a snowman with us.”

Dad brushed the snow off his clothes. “There you are! Perfect timing! Play with Dylan for a bit. Your mom and I will go upstairs and cook. We’ll make Dylan some soup.”

Mom said to me, “Ches, take care of Dylan.”

Then, they turned and went upstairs.

Dylan excitedly pulled me along.

The moment sunlight fell on him, all the pain transferred to me. The skin on my arms began to burn and sting, but I was happy.

Suddenly, a few boys walked by. They pointed at Dylan and laughed mockingly.

“Hey, look! A white-haired freak!”

Dylan’s smile froze, and his face turned pale.

I immediately stepped in front of him to shield him.

“Get lost! Don’t you dare bully my brother!”

The boy at the front shoved me.

“Who do you think you are? Beat it!”

I fell hard onto the snowy ground. My knee hit a rock and started bleeding.

They took advantage of the chaos and surrounded Dylan. They reached out and tugged at his hair.

“Ha ha, it really is white! Freak!”

“Leave my brother alone!”

I tried to get up but fell back down.

All I could do was watch as Dylan broke down in sobs.

Just then, I heard Mom shout, “Scram! All of you, shoo!”

She rushed down and shoved the boys away. Then, she pulled Dylan into her arms and sheltered him.

The boys scattered and ran off.

She was trembling all over as she checked on Dylan.

“Dylan, are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere? Tell me.”

She then turned to look at me. “Chester!”

She stormed over to me.

“I told you to take care of Dylan! You just stood there and watched him get bullied?! What are you even good for?!”

I covered my bleeding knee and said in explanation, “Mom, I was pushed down. My knee is bleeding. I can’t stand up—”

“Shut up!”

Mom would not listen to me at all. She grabbed my arm so forcefully that she nearly lifted me off the ground.

“You’re bleeding? What does it matter that you’re bleeding? Dylan’s terrified! If he’s traumatized because of this, can you live with yourself?”

Dad had also come downstairs. He frowned and hoisted Dylan onto his back. He spoke in a low voice to comfort Dylan as he walked back to the house.

Mom dragged me all the way back upstairs.

Lily heard the commotion and opened her door. She saw me covered in injuries. “What’re you doing? He’s only six! You can’t just—”

Mom cut her off. “What do you know? He just stood there watching Dylan get bullied! He wants Dylan to die sooner!”

Lily was just about to say something when I smiled faintly and said, “Mrs. Lance, it was my fault. I didn’t protect Dylan well enough…”

Mom shoved me into the bedroom. “You stay right here and think about what you did!”

She pointed at me and said harshly, “Are you secretly hoping something happens to Dylan? Do you wish he’d just die so you can have Dad and me all to yourself?!”

“I don’t! Mom, I really—”

The door slammed shut. Darkness and icy chill swallowed me whole.

The blood had clotted on my knee and frozen right into my pants. With each breath, my wounds pulled and stung.

In that deadly cold silence, the wristband on my arm vibrated violently.

I looked down and saw a number counting down on it.

Suddenly, everything went black.

Countless images flashed before my eyes.

Not long after I was born, my mother held me gently. But her tears fell onto my face. “Ches, you are my angel! You were truly sent here to save Dylan…”

Dad was in tears as he fastened the wristband onto my hand. I immediately burst into loud cries, but they could not bear to look at me.

The first time Dylan snuck out to the balcony, I was playing with building blocks on the floor. The moment his arm was exposed to sunlight, my arm broke out in sores. I wailed loudly.

Mom rushed over and applied ointment on it as he cried. “I’m so sorry, Ches. I really am. Let me blow on it. It won’t hurt anymore…”

After it happened many times, I learned to endure it. I stopped crying out in pain. Then, I stopped crying altogether.

Mom no longer held me while treating my wounds or comforted me.

When I opened my eyes again, the pain was gone.

Was I dead?

The lifespan transfer had succeeded!

A wave of immense joy almost made me jump up.

“Yay! I’m dead! I really gave my life to Dylan! He’ll live!” I sang.

I excitedly got up and wanted to rush out of the room to tell Mom the wonderful news!

However, when my hand touched the door handle, it went right through.

Just then, there was a commotion outside the door.

“Mom, you finally made it! You must’ve felt so cold on the way here.”

“Oh, Dylan. Let me see you. Did you get thinner?”

It was my grandmother, Mable Jeater!

I hurriedly passed through the door.

Dylan was wearing brand-new clothes and was nestled in Mable’s arms.

Aunt Deborah was here too. She was arranging fruits on the table.

Only then did I realize that today was the first day of the new year.

Grama pulled out a present.

“Here, Dylan, take this. Have a great new year ahead!”

She then turned to Mom. “Where’s Chester? I have a present for him too!”

Mom’s smile faded.

She pointed toward my closed bedroom door and said, “He’s in his room, throwing a tantrum.”

She said loudly, “Ches, come out! It’s New Year’s today. I’m not going to punish you anymore.”

I shouted, “Mom, I’m right here! I’m not in pain anymore. Dylan got better, too!”

But no one could hear me.

In the room, my tiny figure was curled up on the cold floor.

Mom frowned. “Chester, do you hear me? Come out!”

Dylan slid down from Grandma’s lap and called out, “Chester, come out! I don’t blame you anymore. Grandma misses you.”

After a few seconds, Mom’s face darkened.

“Forget it, Mom. Don’t bother with him. That kid just keeps getting worse. He’s spoiled rotten.”

Grandma looked at the closed door and shook her head. “Chester used to be so good and sensible. How did he turn out like this? Dylan’s so ill, but he still won’t cut his own brother any slack…”

My heart tensed and felt heavy.

Was Grandma disappointed in me, too?

In the past, she used to feel sad for me whenever she saw the wounds on my body. She would pull Mom and Dad aside and say, “You can’t do this! It’s not fair to Ches.”

It seemed like she no longer sympathized with me.

It was all my fault. I did not protect Dylan properly. I had let him get bullied.

I wanted to rush over and grab Grandma’s hand. I wanted to lie across her knees like I did when I was little and say, “Grandma, I haven’t been all bad. I… I gave my life to Dylan because I wanted him to live.”

But I could not touch her.

She sighed again and took Dylan’s hand.

“Dylan, honey. You have to stay healthy, okay?”

Just then, her gaze fixed on his wristband.

“Dylan, why is your wristband flashing?”

My soul trembled in excitement.

Grandma saw it! This was the sign that the lifespan transfer had succeeded.

Soon, they would discover that Dylan had been granted a long life! Then, everyone would be happy. They could have a good new year.

But Dad just glanced at it and said, “It’s just updating the data. That’s normal.”

After that, he picked up his coat.

“Mable, Deborah, let’s go. I made a reservation. We’re going out for New Year’s Eve dinner! It’ll be fun.”

“What about Ches?” Deborah hesitated.

“Forget him!”

Mom said coldly, “Let him go hungry for once. Then, he’ll come out of the room. Let’s go.”

I followed them. I decided to have one last New Year’s dinner with them, even if they could not see me.

I followed them into the restaurant. It was very lively. All our other relatives were there too.

“Oh, Dylan! Dylan’s here! Come here, let me take a look at you!

“Dylan’s looking so much better! Praise the Lord!”

Everyone crowded around Dylan.

I drifted among them. No one even mentioned me.

The waiters began serving dishes. Everyone laughed and chatted. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming.

Then, Dad’s phone rang.

“Mr. Jeater? I’m calling from the wristband technical support team. This is an emergency. We’ve detected that the transfer wristband you purchased has stopped functioning. It’s because…”

Dad did not even listen to the rest. He hung up and rushed to Dylan’s side.

Everyone had heard the part where the technical support team said the wristband had completely stopped functioning.

Mom hurried over to Dylan and grabbed his wrist.

“Dylan, how are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?!”

Dad looked at Dylan worriedly.

The room instantly went silent.

Mom looked at Dad.

“It’s Ches! It has to be Chester! He must’ve broken the wristband! He’s trying to kill Dylan! How can he be so cruel? We raised him for nothing!”

Our relatives began to whisper, “Ches is usually so well-behaved.”

“He’s six years old! He’s old enough to know better. How can he be so reckless?”

Their words hurt me more than the blisters.

I had not broken the wristband. I even gave my life to Dylan.

“Come on! We’re going home right now!”

Mom held Dylan. Her gaze was filled with anger.

“I want to know exactly what Chester thinks he’s doing!”

Dad’s expression turned cold, too. He grabbed his coat and followed after Mom.

I floated behind them as I watched them rush out of the restaurant.

As soon as we got home, Mom stormed up to my door. Without a moment’s hesitation, she kicked the door open.

I wanted to stop her. Dylan might be terrified if he saw me in that state.

But Mom walked straight through me.

She said angrily, “Chester, you won’t stop until Dylan’s dead, will you? What exactly do you—”

She trailed off. When she spoke again, her voice faltered.

“C-Chester, what happened to you?”