Chapter 410

Ethan felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his nerves, then slowly reached out and shoved open the rusted iron gate. The metal screeched in protest, echoing through the still air.

He stepped inside the old house. Everything was exactly as it had been ten years ago—nothing out of place, no sign that time had passed.

Except, ten years ago, the place had gleamed with warmth and life. Now, every surface was muffled beneath a thick layer of dust.

"Mom? Dad? Claire?" Ethan's voice bounced around the empty foyer, swallowed by silence. "Where are you guys?"

He looked around. The familiar furniture and trinkets seemed to whisper memories of happier days.

But now, the only thing that lingered here was silence.

Ethan wandered through the sprawling house, each step feeling like he was searching for echoes from the past.

He passed his parents' room, where their belongings still sat exactly where they always had-only now, everything was shrouded in dust.

His own room was just as he remembered, yet somehow impossibly foreign.

himself at the door to what used

in here the day he'd found Claire's

guilt and heartbreak had overwhelmed

but the pain

stepping inside, he found the room unchanged since that

The desk sat

untouched, the folding

stillst the wall, and

with old boxes and forgotten

walked to the desk and pulled open the top drawer. The diary was still

sat down on the creaky cot, and opened to

was yellowed with age, but the handwriting was still perfectly

fingers across the page, feeling as

2007.

mom and dad. And even a handsome big brother who's the

me home

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