Hours passed. No one spoke. The silence pressed down like a weight, heavy and suffocating. Emma crawled back into Olivia's arms, small and trembling, too young to grasp the scale of what was happening, yet smart enough to know that nothing would ever return to the way it had been. Their peaceful life—shattered, scrambled, irretrievable.
Each minute stretched endlessly, the quiet so thick it seemed almost alive, pressing against their ears and hearts. And then… the distant mechanical grind of the heavy door broke the spell, a sharp reminder that the danger outside had not paused for their grief.
The heavy door began to move, gears grinding, pins clicking open. Everyone stood. Olivia held Emma tightly, as if she could shield her from the world, while her other hand gripped Sophia's arm with equal desperation. Sophia positioned herself like a sentinel, protective, ready. James and Alex formed the next line of defense, silent and tense, eyes fixed on the door.
James's voice cut through the silence, steady but carrying the weight of responsibility. "It's going to be alright. I won't let anything happen to anyone."
The door creaked wider, and two soldiers entered, their movements deliberate and cold. Behind them, three more waited, weapons raised, alert. The first two didn't speak; they simply laid down packs of food on the floor, then stepped back.
James's voice wavered slightly. "How long will we be kept here?"
One soldier's reply was calm, almost mocking, as he set down the food. "All of you are prime suspects of the stampede. Be grateful we haven't terminated you already."
Eyes widened. Olivia and Alex trembled.
As the soldiers turned to leave, Olivia's voice cracked the air, raw and fearful. "Where is my son? What are you doing to him?"
The soldier paused, glancing back as his partner stepped outside. His words were ice. "You call that thing your son? We are currently trying to up him down—"
Olivia covered her mouth. Tears fell freely.
The soldier spat on the floor, continuing, venom lacing every word. "But that bastard is still alive. Nothing seems to have any effect on that freak. And you people raised that thing? You people are sick."
Before he could continue, the other soldier's voice cut sharply, commanding. "Privet! You've said enough. No need to waste your breath with these people."
They left. The doors shut and locked behind them. The light flickered for a moment, steadying again.
Olivia sank to her knees, face buried in her hands, trembling. Sophia knelt beside her, holding both her and Emma. Emma, seeing her mother's despair, began to cry too.
James's face paled. Whispering to himself, he asked, "Did we make the wrong decision back then?"
Alex's fists clenched, knuckles white. "We're all going to get killed because of him."
Tears spilled freely. He tried to wipe them, but they kept coming. "If… if only I hadn't heard his cry that awful day…"
Everyone looked at him.
"We treated him like our own flesh and blood. Loved him so much," he continued, voice breaking, wiping tears as they streamed.
James stepped forward and held him against his chest. "It's going to be alright, son."
Alex collapsed into the embrace. "It's my fault. All of it started because I ran into the park."
James tightened his hold. "Don't say that. It's not your fault."
Hopelessness settled like fog. No one moved. No one spoke. Time stretched, measured in tears and shallow breaths. Slowly, the family began to collect themselves, drawing trembling breaths and unsteady composure.
James placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "You alright now?"
Alex sniffed, eyes red and raw. "Yeah… I'm fine now." He turned to Sophia. "I have a question."
Emma, dozing in Sophia's lap, brushed invisible dust from her hair. She looked up at Alex. "Go on."
Alex swallowed. "That day… why was I the only one who heard his cry?"
Olivia lifted her head, eyes glistening with sorrow, her face mirroring every unspoken regret.
Sophia paused, voice low, careful not to wake Emma. "You were only five when you found him, right?"
Alex nodded, eyes locked on hers.
"You may not know this," Sophia continued softly, "but children—especially at that age—are more sensitive to supernatural occurrences. You were young. Your senses were open. That's why you heard his cry when no one else did."
James's grip on Alex's shoulder tightened, unease mirrored in his stance.
Alex pressed on. "What about the car? When we reached the old park, it stopped… and the doors unlocked on their own. Do you know how that happened?"
Sophia placed a hand over Emma's head as she shifted slightly. "I'm not certain… but here's what I think might have happened."
Olivia watched her anxiously.
"Maybe he wanted someone to take him. Even unconsciously, he could have forced the car to break down, made the doors open." Sophia's voice softened, careful. "This is just my guess. It could also be coincidence."
Alex scoffed, eyes on the floor. "Coincidence? Like that changes the fact he controlled us to take him in?"
James hesitated, recalling a memory he had long avoided. "Five years ago… the day you first came to our house. We took him to see Father Aldric that same day. But… when Father looked into his eyes, he panicked. He shouted at us to leave."
James swallowed, fear threading his voice. "Has he told you what he saw?"
Sophia's hesitation was sharp. She knew the truth, but she didn't want to tell them.
Alex stepped closer. "You know, don't you? He told you what he saw. What is it? Tell us the truth."
Sophia argued, her voice strained. "I can't. You're his family. He has nothing else. If you push him away… if I tell you, you will never see him the same way again."
Alex froze mid-step. James clenched his fists, jaw tight.
Olivia's voice cut through the tension, almost lost all warmth. "Please… tell us. I beg you."
Sophia looked at her, heart aching, and finally relented. "I'm begging you… even after hearing this, don't turn your back on him. If he breaks… the thing in him… it might come out."
The room fell silent, all eyes on her.
She took a deep breath. "After you left the church, Father Aldric contacted me, gave me your address, urging me to come as soon as possible to save him. A few days later, after I placed the first scale, I visited Father Aldric—he told me everything."
Sophia paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "When Father Aldric looked into his eyes… he saw nothing. Just emptiness. A void. And as he stared into that void… something stared back."
James and Alex were stunned.
Olivia, unmoved outwardly, simply sat beside Sophia, brushing Emma's hair with a tender hand. Her scar tingled—a quiet ache, lingering after all these years.
Alex moved to a corner, eyes fixed on the heavy door. His face unreadable, his thoughts heavy with a storm no one could see.