The Shadows of Trinity

Uncertainty

Wilhelm Hartmann opened his eyes and looked around everything was dark except for a dim light above him. Cautiously walking forward he eventually ended up bumping into a glass wall. Feeling startled he stepped backwards slightly he then stared at his reflection in the glass. The version of himself reflected in the mirror was wearing a Nazi uniform. Glancing down he realized that he was wearing different clothes compared to what he saw in the reflection. Staring back at his reflection he felt a lump forming in the back of his throat. He started slowly backing away from the glass until he bumped into a black wall.

"I'm not that man anymore.
"I don't want to be seen as that man who could have ruined the lives of many.
"I want to be seen as someone else..."

Tears slowly streamed down his face and the sound of his sobs echoed throughout the empty room. Sliding down the wall he sat down on the floor and pulled his legs closer to the rest of his body as if he was protecting himself from something.

"You can't be someone else," a voice said.

"I want to be," Wilhelm replied through sobs. "I don't want to be this person."

"Well, you can't,"

"I want-"

"You can't change who you are Werner Heisenberg,"

"Don't call me that!" He yelled his voice trembling slightly.

Wilhelm continued to just sob loudly his tears flowing freely. Eventually, he stood up wiped his tears and began walking over to the glass wall. Once he got closer to the wall he clenched his fist and went to punch the wall. When his fist made contact with the glass it didn't shatter and all he felt was the smoothness and coldness of the glass on his hand. Placing both of his hands on the wall he gazed at the reflection through teary eyes. He eventually lowered his head and let out a soft whimper.

"You need to remember who you are Werner.
"You are a great scientist and a good person.
"You need to find yourself again. You can't continue to be under a different identity you need to be yourself. Your true self."

Wilhelm clenched both of his fists and started trying to break the glass wall again. Violently hammering his fists on the glass while incoherently cursing under his breath. After a while, he stopped and just placed his hands flat on the glass his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"You need to stop and accept who you are,"

"I can't accept what I have done," Wilhelm said as he started to sob again. "I was a part of something terrible. Something that could have destroyed the world."

"Stop hating yourself, Werner,"

"It's a good thing that people think that I'm dead,"

"You can't lie forever about who you are,"

Wilhelm just fell to his knees his hands slowly sliding down the glass. Tears slowly streamed down his face like rain gently falling from the leaves of trees after a storm.

"I don't want anyone to know who I am,"

"It's your choice. But lying won't help you,"

"I have no choice I'm afraid of people knowing about me and what I did,"

"You need to find a way to let go of that fear,"

"I can't..."

***

Wilhelm slowly opened his eyes and allowed them to adjust to the early morning light shining through the tent. He lay there taking slow deep breaths allowing his heart rate to slow down to a normal rhythm. Eventually, he heard footsteps outside rustling in the grass. Koralin entered the tent and looked down at the empty wooden picture frame along with the tiny pieces of glass that were scattered around it. She looked at Wilhelm with concern wandered over to him and knelt down in front of him.