Chapter 223

• Fern's Perspective
• There was a strange tension in the air when I got home. The moment I opened the door, a gust of icy wind hit my face. The house seemed unnaturally quiet, and the air felt thick and heavy. I couldn't shake the growing sense of unease rising in my chest.
• The place was a mess. Papers were scattered across the table, a few books had been knocked off the bookshelf, and shoes and clothes were strewn across the floor, suggesting that something had happened here. My heart sank as I quickly scanned the room, my eyes darting to every corner of the living room, searching for the one person I was most familiar with—my son, Daniel.