Your Regrets Mean Nothing To Me

Torin's revelation sent ripples through the comment section.
[She didn't just betray her non-biological sister—she turned on her own brother.]
[Whatever, they're all victims. Elysia deserves worse than hell.]
[To think Torin loved her so much, and she stabbed him in the back.]
The bright and warm family scene dissolved into darkness, leaving viewers momentarily disoriented. Only the steady rumble of an engine provided
any sense of place or time. As confusion filled the chat with questions, a small voice broke through the darkness.
In the studio, Torin's lips curved into a bitter smile as the familiar sounds washed over him. Through the specialized VR glasses, he was experiencing
that moment again, feeling every sensation just as clearly as he had years ago.
"That's where she abandoned me," he said quietly. "If the driver hadn't been distracted, I might never have made it out."
His raw pain touched everyone present. Even Fenwick, who rarely showed his older brother sympathy, softened.
"Let it go, Torin," Fenwick said. "Evil brings its own punishment. She doesn't deserve to be called our sister—we have Rowena now."
"You're right, Fenwick," Caellan jumped in. "That little snake got what she deserved. Karma caught up with her in the end."
*****
The memory continued unfolding in darkness. A second voice joined in—Torin, just regaining consciousness.
"Don't be afraid, Elysia," he murmured. "I'm here."
It had been Torin's eighth birthday. The kidnapper had taken advantage of the crowded celebration to snatch Elysia. Torin had spotted them and given
chase.
"I'm so sorry," Elysia sobbed, her words echoing in the darkness. "If I hadn't gotten caught, you wouldn't have followed. You wouldn't have gotten hurt
fighting him."
"This isn't your fault," he assured her. "I'll get us out of here."
The darkness gave way to dim yellow light after a series of sharp impacts. Metal scraped against metal as Torin worked a wrench from the truck into
the door's seam. His hand reached through the gap, searching for the outside lock.

"What's that noise?" The driver's voice carried clearly to Elysia's ears. "Better check it out before those brats try anything."
Despite the driver's seat being so far from them, Elysia could hear every word with crystal clarity.
The viewers held their breath watching that sliver of light. In the studio, only Torin frowned. Something wasn't right—these sounds, these words from
the driver, they were completely foreign to him.
[The door's open, but look at Torin's hand!]
[That cut looks nasty. Hope he got it treated.]
[The truck's stopping—run!]
The latch clicked open. Through the VR technology, the viewers were experiencing exactly what four-year-old Elysia had heard and seen, yet it
differed drastically from Torin's recollection.
Even now, watching the scene unfold, he still couldn't understand the discrepancy—why he hadn't heard the driver's approach, why he'd simply
assumed it was just a routine stop for a break.
The memory continued to play.
"Torin, you're bleeding," Elysia said, her small hands grabbing his sleeve.
[Here comes the betrayal—watch the little snake abandon Torin!]
[She should have been the one to disappear that day.]
[Don't worry, karma got her in the end. Talk about justice.]
"What's wrong?" Torin turned toward his sister. "We need to run first. We'll get help after."
Footsteps crunched on gravel, drawing closer.
"No!" Four-year-old Elysia shoved Torin with surprising strength, then leaped down herself.
*****
The chat erupted in outrage as the memory reached its pivotal moment. Torin, watching this scene, remembered that particular moment—his baby
sister in her pretty dress, tumbling through the dirt before stumbling away. An inexplicable ache gripped his heart.

The next moments silenced every voice in both the studio and chat.
Instead of seeking cover in the roadside brush, the screen showed Elysia's small figure running straight down the center of the road, fully exposed.
The viewers watched, stunned, as she deliberately fought her way across traffic to the opposite side, then turned back to face her pursuer.

[Has she completely lost it?]
[Not just heartless—she's actually stupid.]
[Hold up—I get taking a wrong turn, but she literally saw the kidnapper and still ran straight at him? Like why?]
A passing car bought Elysia precious seconds. She used that moment to look back at her brother, now running to safety. Through her tears, she
smiled. "I'm sorry, Torin. I can't... can't keep going much longer."
She drew a ragged breath and squared her tiny shoulders. "No. Can't let him catch Torin. Have to keep running," she whispered to herself.
The exhausted child pushed forward on trembling legs.
[Wait... did she push Torin away and run off on her own to deliberately lead the kidnapper away?]
That comment silenced the stream. Viewers stopped typing, collectively holding their breath, willing Elysia to escape—though the decade-old
headlines about the missing Drayton heiress had already written this ending.
In the studio, Torin's heart clenched as understanding dawned. He remembered his sister's eyes when she pushed him—not guilt over abandonment,
but resignation over her choice.
'I was wrong,' he realized. 'So terribly wrong. She was only four—how could I have believed she meant to hurt me?'
Without Stellan's device, he would have carried that misunderstanding to his grave.
*****
Back in the memory stream, Elysia's strength finally gave out. She collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.
"Quite the runner, aren't you?" The kidnapper's voice held cruel amusement. "Once I've got you, I'll get your brother too."
Terror widened Elysia's eyes. She barely glanced at the blood staining her arm from the jump, too focused on seeking help.

She quickly scanned her surroundings, desperately waving at the passing cars, trying to flag one down. But car after car passed by, some even
honking warnings at the small figure in their path, as if to warn her off.
She yelled, her voice breaking. "Please, someone help us! Please help my brother!"
Only the harsh glare of passing headlights answered her plea.
In the studio, pain flashed across both Torin and Fenwick's faces.
[How can these drivers be so heartless? Just drive by like that?]
[Poor little Elysia... my heart breaks seeing her childhood.]
Caellan's sneer echoed through the studio. "So she saved Torin once. Look at all the evil she did later."
His words sparked agreement in the chat.
[Torin only got kidnapped because of her. She owed him this much.]
[Those drivers were smart not to stop. The kidnapper could have been armed.]