Kirana was still sitting silently on the bed. Her mother's words kept circling through her mind.
"Big sister?"
That one word felt unfamiliar.
All her life, Kirana had believed her family was complete. There was her father, her mother, and Raka. There had never been any mention of someone named Nara.
"But why have I never known?" Kirana's voice was soft.
Her mother lowered her head. Her hands were visibly clutching the hem of her own shirt.
"Because your father and I had a reason for choosing not to talk about her back then."
"What reason?"
Kirana was starting to feel angry. Not because her mother had kept a secret, but because she felt like a stranger in her own home.
"Mom, I have the right to know."
Her mother slowly nodded.
"I know."
Raka, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
"Mom, what actually happened?"
Their mother looked at both of them.
"Nara was born several years before you, Kirana."
Kirana stared at her mother.
"So I have an older sister?"
"Yes."
"Then where is she now?"
The question left her mother silent for a long moment.
Kirana could see her mother's expression change.
A sudden sadness appeared on her face.
"Nara isn't with us anymore."
The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.
Kirana didn't know how to respond.
She looked at the photograph still in her hand.
The woman in the photo looked happy. Her smile was warm, as if she were someone very close to her.
"But why is her picture kept here?"
Her mother looked toward the corner of the room.
"Because this used to be Nara's room."
Kirana looked around.
Suddenly, everything that had felt strange all this time began to make more sense.
The old books.
The name Nara written inside them.
The hidden box.
Everything seemed to point to one person.
"Why was this room given to me?"
Her mother smiled sadly.
"Because when you were little, you always liked coming into this room."
Kirana frowned.
"I did?"
"Yes. You were very young then. You often sat on this bed and said that the room felt comfortable."
Kirana tried to remember.
But not a single image came to her.
"I don't remember."
"That's normal."
"Why?"
Her mother fell silent.
"You were too young when everything happened."
Kirana felt that part of the story was still being kept from her.
"You're still hiding something from me, aren't you?"
Her mother didn't answer right away.
And that silence was answer enough.
"Kirana..."
"Mom, I just want to know."
Kirana's voice began to weaken.
"I found writing in the book. There was a message. Someone seemed to want me to know something."
Her mother immediately looked at her.
"What message?"
Kirana took the small piece of paper from the table.
Her mother read the writing.
Her expression changed at once.
"This..."
"You know it?"
Her mother didn't answer.
"Mom?"
"That's Nara's handwriting."
Kirana and Raka looked at each other.
"That's impossible," Raka said quietly.
Their mother shook her head.
"I wish it were."
Kirana felt even more confused.
"So Nara wrote all of this?"
"I don't know."
"But you said it was her handwriting."
"Yes, because I recognize the way she wrote."
Kirana gripped the paper tighter.
"Why would she want me to know something?"
Her mother stood and walked toward the wardrobe.
She opened the bottom section, which had rarely been used.
From there, she took out another small box.
"We were actually keeping this for someday."
Kirana watched the box.
"What is it?"
"Nara's things."
Her mother handed the box to Kirana.
"Why only now?"
"Because I never expected you to find it yourself."
Kirana opened the box.
Inside were several small items.
A bracelet.
Several photographs.
And a notebook.
Kirana picked up the notebook.
Its cover was nearly ruined, but she recognized its shape.
"It's the same book."
Raka stepped closer.
"What do you mean?"
"The one I found yesterday."
Kirana opened the first page.
This time, there was writing inside.
Not the strange writing.
Just an ordinary note.
"Today I moved into a new room."
Kirana read softly.
"Nara wrote this when she was young."
Her mother nodded.
Kirana continued reading.
"My first day in this room. I feel like this room is different. There's something about it that makes me feel comfortable."
Kirana stopped.
The sentence was almost identical to what she had felt herself.
She turned to the next page.
"I hope that someday my little sister can live here."
Kirana fell silent.
"Little sister?"
Her mother looked at her.
"Yes."
Kirana stared at the notebook.
"She knew about me?"
Her mother nodded.
"Nara loved you very much."
Tears began to well in Kirana's eyes before she even realized it.
All this time, she had never known that someone had once been waiting for her.
Someone who had been part of her family.
Someone she couldn't even remember.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from the table.
All three of them turned toward it.
The old book that had been lying open suddenly fell to the floor on its own.
Kirana stood up.
"What was that?"
Raka approached the book.
"I didn't touch it."
Her mother looked panicked.
"Kirana, don't."
But Kirana had already picked up the book.
The last page opened by itself.
This time, there was new writing.
Words that made Kirana's expression change instantly.
"At last, you know about me."
Beneath that sentence was another message.
"I still have something I need to show you."
Kirana stared at the page.
Her chest felt tight.
Because for the first time, she felt that Nara wasn't merely part of the past.
It was as if someone was trying to communicate with her.
And that room had become the one place where all the secrets were finally beginning to open.