Under the night sky, Evan stood rooted in place, speechless. His gaze lingered on Keller's fleeing figure, slowly swallowed by the waves of darkness. He tried to speak but remained silent.
The moonlight weighed heavily on Evan's shoulders, suffocating him.
Returning to campus with countless questions, Evan tried to focus and get back on track, continuing his thesis work. Yet his mind was chaotic—no progress at all.
Frustration and anxiety gnawed at him, leaving his thoughts tangled and restless.
But things didn't improve.
Back in the dorm, Sam informed him of a voicemail.
The first message was from his professor, concerned about Evan missing his deadline to submit the thesis. The professor called to check in.
Evan glanced upward, wondering if the situation could get any worse.
The second message was from… Tommy.
"What the hell did you say to my sister?"
The unfamiliar voice froze Evan on the spot. He stiffened completely, unmoving.
"She cried on the phone with me for over an hour last night. She told me you visited her. And tonight… she killed herself."
"She's dead."
"…You will be too."
Tommy had lost his mind.
Evan stood there, expressionless, motionless—like a puppet with its strings cut, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Despair, like a creeping mold, began spreading from the depths of his soul.
---
The funeral was held on an overcast day.
From afar, Evan clutched a bouquet of fresh flowers but didn't step closer.
He could see George and Tommy, who had controlled Keller's life, yet even in her death, they refused to let her go.
After they all left, Evan approached the tombstone alone, staring silently at the coffin awaiting burial.
During their last meeting, Keller had been so broken, her pain etched into every fiber of her being. Her wounds and scars had never healed.
Evan's bright, clear eyes now showed a flicker of resolve. Beneath the layers of anguish and bitterness, determination began to surface.
"If the scars on my stomach didn't appear out of thin air, then maybe my father isn't the madman everyone thinks he is.
If I can create scars, could I also heal them? What about Keller's scars?"
---
Back in his dorm, Evan dug out an old diary, piecing together fragments of childhood memories. He began journaling again.
After recording his current thoughts, Evan flipped to an entry written when he was seven years old. He focused intently, reading aloud.
"…Anyway, I didn't want to be in that movie. It was cold, and I wanted to wear my shirt, but Mr. Miller took it off…"
It had happened after all.
The "dream" returned, though Evan couldn't distinguish whether it was a dream or reality.
But now, he relived the scene recorded in his diary.
---
That sunny afternoon when he was seven, his mother left him at the Millers' house. He, Keller, and Tommy played together. George had announced that he bought a camera and planned to film a movie. It was supposed to star Tommy and Keller, but George changed his mind—now it would be Evan and Keller.
Back then, Evan's memory had blanked out completely.
But this time, it all became disturbingly clear. He experienced it firsthand.
George led them to the basement. Tommy tried to sneak in but was caught and scolded, forced to stay out. Still, Tommy hid on the staircase.
George explained they were filming a Robin Hood story. The next scene involved Robin Hood and Maid Marian on their wedding night.
He instructed Evan and Keller to take off their clothes.
Keller averted her gaze, her head bowed low.
George frowned. "No need to overreact. It's just like when we bathe, isn't it?"
At seven, Evan hadn't understood the implications. But at twenty, he did.
Evan turned to look at Keller, trembling with fear, her shoulders hunched. This clearly wasn't her first time.
Taking a deep breath, Evan decided to act.
Leaning toward Keller, he whispered softly, "Cover your ears."
Keller obediently closed her eyes and pressed her hands over her ears.
Evan then straightened and turned to face the camera and George. His expression turned icy, and his eyes gleamed with a dangerous intensity.
"What time is it?" he asked coldly.
George glanced at his watch dismissively. "Time for you to do as I say."
Evan stepped forward. "Wrong answer, George. It's time for you to start counting."
George faltered, finally noticing something was off about Evan.
Fixing George with a piercing gaze, Evan continued, "In the next thirty seconds, you'll open one of two doors.
"One door leads to a lifetime of harm to your own flesh and blood. You'll destroy your daughter's life, turning a vibrant girl into a hollow shell. Her remaining trust in the world will shatter because her father is a twisted monster. And in the end, she'll take her own life.
"Bravo, dad."
George stood frozen, staring at Evan as if facing a demon. His alcohol-induced instability grew worse.
"Who…who are you?" George stammered.
Evan sneered. "Let's put it this way—someone's always watching you, George."
"The other door? Treat Keller the way a loving father should. Doesn't that sound nice, dad?"
George, avoiding Evan's gaze, nodded weakly.
But Evan wasn't done. He stepped closer, his face disappearing into shadow, leaving only his eyes glowing in the dark.
"Listen carefully, George. If you mess this up again, I'll make sure you never have the chance to."
George gulped, trying to speak, but no sound came out.
"And one more thing. Keep an eye on your son, Tommy—because he's a ticking time bomb."
On the staircase, Tommy clutched a doll, pulling at it violently.
Evan didn't notice Tommy. He was consumed by his own thoughts—fixing everything, healing the wounds.
Turning to Keller, Evan whispered one last thing into her ear.
Keller lowered her hands, opened her eyes, and mustered the courage to face her father. Taking a deep breath, she shouted, "Don't ever touch me again."
---
Applause erupted in the theater, breaking the silence.
The audience quickly realized their impropriety, covering their mouths to quiet themselves. The applause faded, leaving the room still once more.
But in Nicholas's mind, waves of shock and awe raged on.
The cruel, bloody truth had finally surfaced. The hidden, ugly realities were laid bare for all to see.
More importantly, Evan had fought back with courage.
How many children, both past and present, have faced such horrors, voiceless and unprotected?
At last, Evan took a stand, speaking out on behalf of all those silenced children.
Nicholas couldn't help but feel his heart surge with emotion, his blood boiling with righteous fervor.
(End of chapter)