Chapter 49

• ETHAN
• As I sat in the stillness of my room, the memory lingered, entangling itself in the corners of my mind. Like an echo, it reverberated through my thoughts, refusing to be silenced. Each time I pushed it away, it only grew stronger, demanding my attention.
• I found myself retracing the sequence of events, examining every detail as though with a magnifying lens. What had seemed insignificant in the moment now held an undeniable weight, pulling me deeper into its grasp. I tried to label it as a passing thought, dismissing it as mere imagination, but the truth whispered softly in the recesses of my consciousness—I couldn't lie to myself, not this time.