The rain fell in relentless sheets, drumming a mournful rhythm against the broken windows of the abandoned chapel. Ethan sat alone on the cold stone floor, the weight of his memories pressing down like the storm outside.
Each drop was a reminder — of what was lost, of promises broken, of the boy he once was before the world turned its back on him.
He had returned here, to the place where it all began, drawn by a need to confront the ghosts he had buried deep inside.
The chapel was in ruins, much like his heart. The pews were splintered, the altar cracked, and the faded stained glass whispered stories of light now faded to darkness.
Ethan's hands trembled as he held a worn locket — the only thing left from his mother. Inside was a faded picture of a smiling family, a cruel reminder of what had been stolen.
His throat tightened with unshed tears.
Why did they have to betray me?
Why did the world turn against me when I only sought to protect them?
Footsteps echoed behind him, hesitant but familiar.
Liora stepped inside, her eyes wide with concern.
"I was worried," she said softly, kneeling beside him.
Ethan didn't look up.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "For everything. For pushing you away."
She reached out, gently taking his hand.
"You don't have to carry this alone. Not anymore."
But the past was a shadow that clung tightly.
Flashbacks surged unbidden — the faces of his friends as they turned into foes, their laughter twisted into cruel mockery.
Marcus's cold eyes, the fire consuming his home, the screams of his family...
His lips curled in a bitter smile.
Revenge was a poison, and he was already tasting its bitterness.
But the fire inside him had not yet been quenched.
He would make them pay. All of them.
Outside, the storm raged on, mirroring the tempest within Ethan's soul.
He rose, determination hardening his features.
"The past is not over," he said quietly. "It will never be over until justice is done."
Liora nodded, standing beside him like a beacon in the dark.
Together, they would face the shadows — no matter how deep or terrifying.
But Ethan knew, deep down, the path of revenge was a lonely road.
One that might lead him to lose everything he still held dear.