The Reunion

Mark Harrison had spent years living with the guilt. The weight of his brother's disappearance on that godforsaken island gnawed at him, a constant reminder of his failure. Five years had passed, but the memories clung to him like a shadow, dark and suffocating.

Now, standing at the window of his apartment, Mark stared blankly at the rain as it splattered against the glass. His reflection looked haggard, eyes hollow from too many sleepless nights. It had taken months of planning, months of reaching out to people he hadn't spoken to in years, but finally, the trip was set.

His phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. He snatched it up, swiping at the screen. It was a message from Eva, the one person he wasn't sure would ever forgive him for what had happened.

I'll be there. Don't make me regret this.

A sharp exhale escaped him. Eva had been the hardest to convince. They had been together once, but their relationship had crumbled in the aftermath of his brother's death, the strain too much to bear. He knew coming back to the island meant reopening old wounds, but he had no choice. He needed answers.

A quick reply—Thanks.—was all he could muster before tossing the phone back onto the counter. His gaze drifted to the map spread out across the table. The island sat at the center, its shoreline dotted with markers where strange events had been recorded. The biggest marker was on the northern edge, where the ancient temple stood—crumbling, forgotten, and full of questions that no one wanted to ask.

Mark leaned over the table, running his fingers along the faded lines of the island. This was where his brother had disappeared, and this was where he intended to find the truth, no matter what it cost him.

The boat ride to the island was uncomfortable, the tension among the group thick and unspoken. Mark stood at the wheel, guiding the boat through the choppy waters as the others sat in uneasy silence. The sky above was gray, and the island ahead was barely visible through the mist that clung to the horizon like a ghostly veil.

"How much longer?" Jess's voice cut through the quiet. She sat near the railing, her legs pulled up to her chest, eyes scanning the water. She was always the restless one, never content to sit still for long.

"Not far," Mark muttered, his hands tightening on the wheel. The island loomed closer now, a dark silhouette rising from the fog. His heart began to race as the memories of that night came rushing back—his brother's laughter, the distant sound of waves, and then... nothing.

Eva sat across from him, arms crossed and eyes fixed on the water. She hadn't said much since they left the dock, and he knew why. Returning to the island meant facing everything they had tried to bury for years—his brother's death, the secrets that had unraveled them all.

Carter, perched near the back of the boat, adjusted his camera equipment with a grin. "You guys feeling that yet? That... vibe? This place is perfect. The fog, the isolation... we're definitely going to catch something this time."

Lena, sitting beside Carter, shot him a look of annoyance. "Ghosts aren't real, Carter. Stop trying to turn this into some paranormal investigation."

Carter shrugged. "I'm just saying, this island has a history. You can't just dismiss it."

"People have died here," Lena said, her voice low and serious. She glanced at Mark, her expression unreadable. "Your brother died here."

Mark's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond. Instead, he focused on the island, now looming closer. He could just make out the rocky shoreline through the mist, the blackened trees stretching into the sky like jagged claws.

The boat bumped against the dock, and Mark quickly tied it off, jumping onto the weathered wooden planks. The others followed, stepping cautiously onto the island as if they were afraid the ground might give way beneath their feet.

The fog clung to everything, thick and oppressive. It swallowed the sound of the waves, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

"Well," Jess muttered, looking around, "this place hasn't gotten any cheerier since last time."

"Let's stick together," Lena said, her tone sharp. "No one wanders off. Agreed?"

Carter gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Mark ignored them, already moving ahead toward the path that led into the heart of the island. The trail was narrow and overgrown, the dense underbrush pressing in on all sides. It hadn't changed. The trees were the same, twisted and dark, their branches tangled like the limbs of some long-dead creature. Every step felt like stepping back in time, back to the night his brother had disappeared.

He could hear the others behind him—Eva's quiet footsteps, Jess's occasional muttered complaint, and Carter's endless chatter about recording "anomalies." But Mark's mind was elsewhere, focused on the temple ahead. It was the last place his brother had been seen, the place where it had all gone wrong.

As they walked deeper into the forest, the fog seemed to thicken, the air growing colder. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath their feet. Mark could feel his heart beating faster, a steady drum in his chest as they drew closer to the temple.

The trees finally parted, revealing the ancient structure. The temple stood at the edge of a clearing, half-buried in the earth. Its stone walls were cracked and covered in thick moss, the entrance dark and foreboding. Strange carvings lined the walls, symbols that Mark had seen before—symbols his brother had been obsessed with in the months leading up to his death.

"This is it," Mark said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Carter was already snapping pictures, his camera clicking rapidly. "Look at these symbols. I bet they date back hundreds of years. Maybe more. This place is amazing."

"It's creepy," Jess muttered, hugging herself as she stared at the temple. "Why did we come back here, Mark?"

Mark didn't answer. Instead, he moved toward the entrance, his flashlight cutting through the gloom. The interior of the temple was dark, the air thick with the smell of damp stone and decay. His footsteps echoed as he stepped inside, the beam of light sweeping across the floor.

The others followed, their movements hesitant. Lena stayed close to the entrance, arms crossed as she surveyed the space. "This place gives me the creeps."

Eva said nothing, her gaze fixed on the carvings that lined the walls. She had always been the quiet one, the thinker. Mark wondered what was going through her head—if she was remembering the same things he was.

Suddenly, there was a sound—a faint, almost imperceptible whisper. Mark froze, his flashlight shaking slightly in his hand. The others heard it too. Eva's head snapped toward the darkness, her eyes wide.

"Did you hear that?" Jess whispered, her voice trembling.

Mark nodded slowly. The whispering grew louder, filling the space with a strange, unnatural hum. It was coming from deep within the temple, from somewhere they couldn't see.

"What the hell is that?" Carter asked, his voice shaky for the first time.

Lena stepped back toward the entrance. "I don't like this. We need to leave. Now."

But Mark couldn't move. His legs felt rooted to the ground, his heart pounding in his chest. The whispers were growing louder, swirling around them like a cold wind. And then, in the midst of the noise, he heard it—a voice.

His brother's voice.

"Mark..." it whispered, faint and distant, but unmistakable.

Mark's blood ran cold. He turned toward the others, his eyes wide with terror.

"We're not alone here."