Chapter 28

28 - Apollo Castiello

"I won’t let anything happen to you."

“Death congratulates you”

It was a new year, but to me, it felt like the clock had stopped. Nothing was new. The countdown, the sparks in the sky, the promises of renewal... everything seemed empty, like a rerun of a movie where the ending never changes. I found myself surrounded by the same faces, the same challenges, the same uncomfortable silences echoing inside me. And yet, the world around me continued to see me as someone fulfilled, a successful man, as if all the pieces of my puzzle were in place.

Everything remained exactly the same, and in a way, I knew nothing would change. Not while I remained trapped in the same version of myself, unable to break the invisible chains holding me back. On the outside, I appeared to be at peace, accepting the life I had. After all, why should I complain? Anyone in my position would give anything to live what I lived. I was a recognized actor, someone whose performances moved crowds.