I confess that I failed my brother when he needed me most.

He was never well, but something made him worse. Suddenly, he tried to claw my eyes out. He refused to eat — said mum's soup was cold as ice and shattered the bowl. I think it was a cry for help.

He'd vanish for days, and when he finally reappeared in our bedroom in the dead of night, he awoke me with a whisper.

"In my new home, it's kill or be killed. I'll be strong for you. A somber voice calls to me. Someone, or something, wants to snuff me out. To eat me up, to steal my face and name. It wants to set me free."

Dazed, I asked what he meant — but he simply whispered "Go back to sleep"... and I did.

That's the last I saw of my brother Alden.