---
EXTRA — "New Year's Day, Five in the Morning"
---
This extra takes place in an alternate timeline, back when Ana was a child living in the orphanage.
---
At five in the morning on January first, the orphanage was silent.
A thick silence—the kind that only exists when adults have finally fallen asleep after a long night. The hallways were dark, lit only by the faint glow of emergency lights reflecting off pale walls and crooked old paintings that had hung there for years.
That silence was violently interrupted by a child.
Ana was eight years old, her black, curly, rebellious hair completely out of control, as if she had lost a war against her pillow. Her brown skin contrasted with the light-colored pajamas she wore, and her brown eyes sparkled with an unreasonable amount of energy for that hour.
She had a mission.
And absolutely no respect for other people's sleep.
She tiptoed toward the area where the older children's rooms were, struggling not to laugh as she carried… a glass full of water. She opened the door carefully, silently.
Then she stopped in front of a specific bed.
Alex, ten years old, was sleeping deeply. He lay on his back, one arm hanging off the bed, blond hair a complete mess. His pale skin looked even paler under the dim light, and his breathing was slow and calm—completely unaware of the imminent danger.
They had stayed up late the night before, waiting for the New Year. Games, candy, laughter, the director telling old stories as if they were brand new. Alex had fallen asleep well past midnight, exhausted.
Ana, on the other hand, had slept four hours.
That was more than enough.
"Alex…" she whispered.
Nothing.
Ana frowned.
Clearly, that wouldn't work.
She carefully climbed onto the edge of the bed, balancing like a seasoned infiltrator. She lifted the glass with solemn determination.
"Alex… it's New Year's…"
And without further warning, she dumped the water straight onto his face.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Alex shot up, gasping, blue eyes wide open. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
Ana jumped off the bed, laughing uncontrollably.
"IT'S THE NEW YEAR!" she shouted in a whisper, as if that somehow made it better. "WE HAVE TO GET READY!"
"IT'S FIVE IN THE MORNING!" Alex growled, soaked, blond hair plastered to his forehead. "WE WENT TO BED LATE!"
"But the park opens at nine!" she replied as if it were obvious. "We have to be prepared!"
"FOUR HOURS EARLY ISN'T 'PREPARED'!" He rubbed his face. "IT'S TORTURE!"
Ana crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks.
"You said you'd take me."
Alex looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Small. Curly-haired. Smiling. Far too awake.
He sighed in defeat.
"…I'm going to hate you for the rest of my life."
"Liar!" Ana said cheerfully. "You love me!"
"Not at five in the morning. Go. Disappear. Let me sleep."
And yet… he got up anyway.
---
The orphanage dining hall was strangely quiet when they arrived. Only the director was awake, sitting with a cup of coffee, reviewing some papers with crooked glasses resting on his nose.
He was an older man, serious-looking, with a murky past—but endless patience for children.
When he saw them, he raised an eyebrow.
"May I ask why there are two living creatures roaming around at this hour?"
Ana immediately stepped forward.
"New Year!" she announced. "We're going to the park!"
The director looked at Alex, who was still wet and clearly annoyed.
"And you?"
"I was massacred…" Alex replied tiredly. "With water."
The director chuckled softly.
"I imagined as much."
He leaned toward Ana.
"Do you know what time it is?"
"Five," she answered proudly.
"And do you know what time the park opens?"
"Nine."
"So…" the director smiled. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"
Ana opened her mouth to protest, but Alex beat her to it.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!"
Ana stared at him, betrayed.
"You said you'd take me!"
Alex looked at her in silence for a few seconds.
Then he sighed again.
"…I did say that."
The director watched the scene with a tired smile.
"Very well," he said at last. "But you eat breakfast first… and no running inside the orphanage."
"YES!" Ana threw her arms up in victory.
Alex just dragged his feet.
---
At exactly nine o'clock, they were at the park.
The air was fresh, the sky clear, and the place was almost empty. Ana ran as soon as they crossed the entrance, her curly hair bouncing with every step, laughter spilling out of her without permission.
Alex followed more slowly, hands in his pockets.
"You're unbearable," he muttered.
"But you came with me!"
"Because I'm an idiot."
They played until they were exhausted.
Swings.
Ridiculous races.
Failed attempts to climb structures that were way too big.
Alex always let her win… except when she cheated.
"Hey!" he protested. "That doesn't count!"
"It does if I'm smaller!" Ana replied shamelessly.
They eventually sat down on a bench, sharing a bag of candy.
Alex looked up at the sky.
"…I guess it wasn't that bad," he admitted.
Ana smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Told you."
---
Years later…
Ana sat in a quiet room, a book open on her lap.
Her brown skin, her black curly hair now longer, more carefully kept. Her hands turned the pages without really reading.
The memory returned without permission.
Five in the morning.
A glass of water.
An annoyed boy who went with her anyway.
She slowly closed the book.
Smiled with nostalgia.
"Happy New Year… Alex," she whispered.
And for a moment, the past hurt a little less.
---