When I was ten years old, I begged for my brother to come back and celebrate my birthday with me. He died in a plane crash, leaving no remains. From then on, I became a constant source of blame for my parents. They blamed me for his death, and every year on the anniversary of his death, they forced me to visit his grave to seek forgiveness. This continued for eight years. I thought I was destined to atone for my life, but on my eighteenth birthday, I was followed and killed by a criminal. Before I died, I tried desperately to send a message to my mother for help, but she harshly reprimanded me."You just don't want to atone for your brother's death. You're full of lies! If you hadn't insisted on your brother returning, my son wouldn't have died. If only it had been you instead. This is your deserved retribution!" The call was mercilessly cut off. Staring blankly at the darkened screen, I suddenly lost the will to live. Indeed, what right did someone like me, who only brought harm, have to continue living? Yet later, when my brother, who had been dead for eight years, returned with his pregnant wife, they were devastated upon learning of my death. On my tenth birthday, I made a fatal mistake. I caused the death of my own brother. I grew up in a happy family, with loving parents and an outstanding brother. I was the apple of everyone's eye. But everything changed because of one phone call I made on my birthday, asking him to come back and celebrate with me. He lost his life in a plane crash and left no remains. Since then, my parents have harbored intense hatred toward me. They repeatedly said, "Why did you insist on your brother returning? If only it had been you instead." That accident claimed not only my brother's life but also mine. Guilt, remorse, and my parents' accusations continuously pushed me into an abyss. Countless times, I questioned myself: why did I call him back, why did I cause his death, why did God take him away? If only I hadn't made that call, would he still be alive? But there's no "if" in this world, and no one is willing to give me an answer. From the day I turned ten, my life revolved around trying to make amends. Every year, on the anniversary of my brother's death—my birthday—my parents would have me visit his grave to seek forgiveness. This went on for eight years. Just when I thought my life had withered enough, I was found and brutally murdered by a killer in the rain. At that time, I was desperately trying to survive. I took out the stun baton cleverly hidden in a pendant shaped like a cute white lamb that my father had prepared for me. Due to my father's work, he had offended many people. Once, my mother and I were kidnapped, and to save me, my mother was dragged by the kidnappers for dozens of meters. My father was stabbed in the chest trying to protect us. With the police's help, we narrowly escaped danger. From then on, my father, concerned for my safety, gave me a pendant, which housed a high-voltage stun baton. After teaching me how to use it, he said, "I can't always be there for you. You must protect yourself." But somehow, when I was captured by the criminal and tried to stab him with the device, it failed. I lost my last chance to survive. Even now, I vividly remember everything I went through. I was attacked with various tools, each blow leaving me in agony. My terrified expression seemed to excite the man. The pain was excruciating, so much so that I wept uncontrollably and lost control of my body. I never imagined the sound of bones breaking could be so loud, echoing clearly in my ears. Skin and flesh separated, and everything in front of me turned red with blood. I fell into unconsciousness.

Upon opening my eyes, I realized I had become a ghost. To my surprise, I found myself in the police station. Outside, thunder and lightning roared, and my father stood there in his work clothes, his eyes filled with sorrow. Surrounding him were several young forensic scientists. On the table lay a bag containing a corpse cut into neat pieces. It was the result of Captain Xu and his team's efforts, having searched for a long time to find a body bag that hadn't been soaked by the rain. I never imagined my death would be discovered so quickly. Perhaps it was heaven's pity for my tragic life. A homeless man, rummaging through a trash bin, found a bag. Upon opening it, he saw a heap of flesh, thinking he had stumbled upon something valuable. Little did he know, he would see a human finger. A torrential rain had shrouded the brutal dismemberment case in darkness. Outside, the storm raged on as the entire police force, accompanied by police dogs, scoured the city. Captain Xu was visibly angry, unable to control his emotions. This case of brutal dismemberment bore an uncanny resemblance to the method used by the Rain Killer eight years ago. "Old Zhou, do you think this case resembles the Rain Killer's method from eight years ago?" My father's expression changed. The Rain Killer was notorious for committing crimes on rainy days, particularly enjoying the torture and murder of young women, destroying countless happy families. Back then, my father had painstakingly gathered evidence to capture the Rain Killer. But upon sensing danger, the Rain Killer fled. Seeking revenge, he tampered with my brother's plane, leading to the crash that claimed his life. Their bodies have never been found. So, Captain Xu immediately thought of that madman, suspecting that if he hadn't died, he would return for revenge. He couldn't help but warn, "Old Zhou, if this really is the Rain Killer, you must keep your wife and Wan Yi from going out. Protecting Wan Yi is crucial; she is the Rain Killer's target!" But upon hearing my name, my father's anxious face suddenly turned calm, and he spoke coldly, "She should have died long ago." Hearing those words, my heart ached. Indeed, I should have died long ago. These past eight years have been borrowed time. Captain Xu, aware of the past, wanted to comfort my father but could only furrow his brow. Back then, after learning of my brother's death, my parents searched the mountains where the plane crashed for three days and nights. Finally, with bloodshot eyes, they knelt by the roadside, pleading with heaven to return my brother to them. The agony of losing a child in middle age was something my parents could never overcome. Thinking of this, Captain Xu sighed, "Old Zhou, don't dwell on it. The department is pressing hard; the higher-ups are very concerned about this case!" Understanding the gravity of the situation, my father began his work, carefully extracting the pieces from the bag. In that instant, he couldn't help but curse, "Curse him to hell! Is this even human?" A young forensic scientist, seeing such a corpse for the first time, also had tears in his eyes. However, the most important task was identifying the victim. After the officers brought back all the pieces they could find, my father began reconstructing the shape of the body. I floated beside him, watching as he spent a day piecing together the skinless body. I felt a sense of relief. I knew my death would be gruesome, and worried that my father would be horrified upon recognizing me. I was also grateful that my guilt-ridden life had finally come to an end. Captain Xu stared at the crimson body on the table. Despite his years as a police officer, his face was unusually grim. He asked my father whether the killer did this to avoid leaving evidence or out of sheer psychopathic intent. My father's face darkened, and after a moment, he spoke hoarsely, "It's not about avoiding evidence. Our examination shows the victim was tortured by having their skin removed." He clenched his fists tightly. "This was purely out of rage!" He pointed to my body. "Look, there are even salt corrosion marks on this corpse! The killer tortured the victim, slicing her flesh piece by piece!" At this, my father's face was filled with anguish, and he spoke sorrowfully, "And she was just a young girl, between sixteen and twenty years old! What kind of hatred could drive this?" Floating beside my father, I couldn't help but applaud him. He truly was the best forensic scientist in the city, accurately determining the cause of my death. Captain Xu's gaze grew colder, "What a monster! Clearly raised without morals!" He was so furious his chest heaved, then asked another question, "We're currently investigating missing females aged sixteen to twenty in the last two days, hoping to quickly identify the victim."

Upon hearing this, Dad seemed to recall something and spoke again. "By the way, the evidence bag of the victim's remains handled by the killer is missing the right leg bone. It's likely that the leg bone has scars or deformities from birth or surgery that could identify the victim." "And because the victim's face was destroyed by acid, restoring the appearance will take time." He sighed, taking off his gloves. Beside him lay the small blood-stained lamb pendant. Clearly, he had forgotten that he had once given it to me as a protective charm. As he finished his work, Dad glanced at his phone, and upon seeing its contents, he angrily called Mom. "Did you see the call from Zhou Wanyi? That liar! I can't believe she would say something like that. She's doing it on purpose to provoke us!" Dad was clearly furious. "Doesn't she know that if it weren't for her insisting her brother return, Xiaonian wouldn't have been killed by the serial killer known for striking during rainstorms? And now, Zhou Wanyi says she's being followed!" I looked at Dad's flushed face with a heavy heart. Dad, I truly didn't lie. I'm really dead. How could I use the person who killed my brother to intentionally upset you? How could I do such a thing? At that time, I was utterly helpless, which is why I sent you messages for help. But Dad couldn't see me. Neither could Mom. I heard her on the other end of the phone, equally angry. "I saw her message too. I'm pretending I didn't. She must be doing this to shirk responsibility. That ungrateful wretch doesn't know how to atone for her sins!" Listening to their accusations, I sadly covered my ears. I thought my death would remain unknown to them until my good friend, Cheng Yiyan, rushed to the police station, saying I had been missing for two days. But just as the officer was about to register my name, Dad stopped them. "No need, Zhou Wanyi's father is me. She's not missing; she's just trying to threaten her mom and me... " Hearing this, the officer glanced awkwardly at Cheng Yiyan. Knowing Dad's identity, he had no choice but to turn away. I watched Cheng Yiyan leave the police station, devastated, tears streaming down her face. I wanted to chase after her, but I was bound to Dad's side, watching him handle my skull and follow him home after work. Unchanging as a rock, the dinner always featured braised fish, spicy crab, and oil-braised shrimp. Mom remembered my brother's preferences but was stingy when it came to remembering my seafood allergy. Once, Dad asked why I wasn't eating, and I thought he finally cared for me. Gathering my courage, I said, "Dad, I'm allergic to seafood... " Mom slammed her chopsticks and scolded me, "What karmic debt am I paying for with a child like you? I worked hard to make this meal, and you act like it's a crime?" Helplessly, I looked at Dad, my childhood hero who always stood up for me when Mom got angry. This time, the hero merely placed a large piece of crab into my bowl and said, "Eat up, don't upset your mom." Their gazes made me feel like a sinner if I didn't eat. Eventually, I finished the entire dish of drunken crabs. That day, my throat swelled almost shut, my eyes blurred, and my body was in pain and itchy. "Help... help me... " My voice was hoarse as I staggered to the door, trying to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Panic seized me, and I banged on the door, struggling to make a sound. "Help, help me... Dad, Mom... help me... I don't want to die... " In a daze, I heard Mom's voice from the living room. "It's just an allergy; it won't kill her. Luckily, I locked the door. She's just pretending to be pitiful, makes me sick to my stomach! Last night, I dreamt of Xiaonian asking for a new game console. Let's hurry before the mall closes." No! Mom, Dad, don't leave me! I don't want to die, help me... The living room door slammed shut, leaving me completely abandoned. Just like that, maybe death would hurt less. I curled up in the corner, waiting for the end. Downstairs, the laughter of a father and daughter echoed into my one good ear. "You rascal, didn't you know you're allergic to peanuts? You almost died!" "Sorry, Dad, I didn't mean to. Please don't tell Mom." "Your mom already knows. She was so worried she twisted her back, and she made a whole table of your favorite dishes for when you come home. As long as you're okay, parents ultimately forgive their children." I felt like a sewer rat, enviously and masochistically peering into a happiness that wasn't mine. At that moment, I was overwhelmed with shame, with nowhere to hide. I too wanted my parents to love me, to care about my food allergies, to make my favorite meals, and to fuss over me. But I'm just the bad kid who killed my brother, unworthy of love. But Mom, Dad, I don't want to die. I really don't want to die...