Evening arrived in a flush of golden color as Alice and Nick climbed the hill to their house.

  They were greeted by the aroma of a fine meal Roland had prepared. The three of them sat down to eat, and the conversation naturally turned to Eric.

  Roland had never heard of the boy either.

  At some point, Nick quietly excused himself and went to his bedroom.

  He sat down in his chair, pulled out a piece of paper, and uncapped his fountain pen. As the sun disappeared and the world became drenched in a mix of darkness and human light, Nick, full of melancholy, wrote a letter to his former mentor.

  My dear love,

  The days since your passing have been tough, and as you taught me, I write down my emotions and pain instead of letting them fester inside me.

  I returned to the place I swore never to see again, holding on to a fragile hope — that I might find the person who holds the answers to dehumanization.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Instead, I was crushed by memories of my past, weighed down by my own failures.

  After a night of terror, I woke in a colorless world, where nothing was good or bad, and the lines blurred together. I let myself believe I had finally found what I was looking for.

  But it was a trick.

  It turns out you had already met this foolish girl. And deemed her unworthy.So why did everything lead me to her? Why do I feel like I’m supposed to help her?

  Her goals are unclear. It seems like she only wants to have fun. She’s intelligent — always writing, always working — but she never shows anyone her creations. A mystery wrapped in layers.

  I traveled back, you know. I saw Roland again.I know you would want me to take the unsaved paths, where true meaning reveals itself. But I can’t. I’m too weak. I’ve failed everything.

  My love, if you were still alive, what would you do?That’s a foolish question, isn’t it?I have to find my own way.

  Let my light shine through the darkness, as you always told me to.

  With all my love,Nick

  Afterward, Nick went to bed, relieved to have lifted the weight from his chest.

  Alice, on the other hand, sat in her room, lights on, a quiet smile on her face. Without a word, she got to work.