Chapter 25

A Month Earlier – April

It was late at night, and Mason — although back then he was more Noah than himself — sat at his desk, writing in a leather-bound notebook. Every word was carefully considered, every sketch meticulously calculated. He knew he needed a plan. And he knew the best tool for revenge would be... the illusion of fun.

A yacht party. Alcohol. Drugs. Laughter. Only he knew it would be the last night his friends would spend in the world they knew.

Mason, as Noah, had spent a long time gathering resources. He hid hallucinogens, secured his father's yacht. Every piece was in place. All he required was the opportunity. And the weaknesses of those he once called family.

Jennifer. Jake. Betty. Will. Nancy. Daniel. Every one of them had failed him. Every one of them was guilty.

Ethan was meant to be the one to steer the yacht, to be his accomplice in revenge.

"If everything goes right," he whispered to his reflection in the mirror, "they'll wake up in a nightmare. And they won't leave until they've paid for it."

The yacht departed exactly as planned. He handled the drinks himself. The substances worked faster than he expected. The laughter turned to silence. As their eyelids grew heavy and their breathing shallow, Noah sat at the stern, staring out at the sea.

"Welcome to hell," he said quietly.

And he set course for the island he had prepared like a stage. For them.

For revenge.

May 2024

Night fell heavy and stifling again. Even though the doors were bolted and the curtains tightly drawn, tension hung thick in the air. Time flowed differently — stretched between moments of hesitation and sudden jolts of fear that froze the blood in their veins.

Nancy sat leaning against the wall, watching as the others drifted into sleep — or at least tried to. She had no intention of sleeping. Not after what she had seen. What she had felt. Mason wasn't himself anymore. Something had cracked inside him. Something had gone dark. But she didn't yet know how to say it to the others. Or whether she even should. There were too many questions and far too few answers.

Outside, the wind battered the windows with an unsettling rhythm. The darkness felt thicker than usual. As if something lurked behind the curtains, watching their every move.

A moan broke the silence. Quiet, but deep. As if it came from the earth itself. It wasn't the sound of wind or the house — it was too deliberate.

Will be the first to react.

"What was that?" he asked, trying to spot something through the dark window.

Jake, who lay closest to the door, cracked the window open. A cold gust swept through the room.

"I don't know… but I have a bad feeling. Like something's been here. For a while now."

Then Jennifer suddenly stood up, clutching her head as if a wave of memories had just hit her.

"I saw it!" she shouted. "The yacht… the party… we were given something. That night wasn't normal!"

Nancy jumped to her feet.

"What did you see, Jen? Tell us exactly."

Jennifer was breathing fast, like after a sprint.

"Mason… or no, Noah… he was watching us. Everything was orchestrated. He knew exactly what he was doing. None of it was random. Each of us was chosen. Chosen for revenge…"

Betty stepped forward slowly, hugging herself.

"The drinks… I think he poured them. I remember, faintly. He said he had something special. Said it was the best way to disconnect from reality."

Olivia sank to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest.

"I… I invited myself to that party, but I remember the lights, the music, and then… everything went blank. Like something switched me off from the inside. And there was just that one image: his face. Calm. Watching. Like he knew everything was about to change."

Will looked at them all, and only now did he feel how it all fit together. Puzzle pieces of memory that matched a little too well.

"It was a trap," he said. "It wasn't a party. It was transport. The beginning of something we didn't understand. He didn't take us there to celebrate… he took us there so we'd stop being who we were. Mason planned it."

"Not Mason — his other personality. Noah," Jennifer said. "I know it from the man who works with him, the one who kidnapped me. Ethan. Their childhood friend. He was steering the yacht. He's hiding somewhere deep in the forest. The island is big, and he knows it well."

Jake, who had been silent until now, walked to the window and stared into the darkness.

"We all ignored his pain. Mason's pain."

Nancy moved to Mason, who was lying motionless, as if asleep. She knelt beside him, staring at the peaceful face of the boy she had known for years — the boy she had loved — but no longer recognized. In a single moment, he had become someone else. Someone terrifying.

"Something hurt you, Noah," she whispered. "But you don't have to be this monster. Not yet. You can still stop this."

Mason didn't open his eyes. But from his lips came a barely audible whisper. Cold. Alien:

"Too late."

The group held their breath. Instantly, all warmth vanished from the room. A suffocating silence fell.

"He planned all of this," Nancy said, rising slowly. "And he did it with the precision of someone who knew us better than we knew ourselves. Every move we made, every word — all part of his game. But what brought us here wasn't just his will. It's something bigger. Something that awakened through him. And now it won't go back to sleep."

Everyone fell silent. Time stopped. As if even the walls were listening.

And then, outside, the moan came again. Louder this time. Closer. Definitely closer. As if something had come to the door. As if it wanted something. Or someone.

Memories began to return. And with every fragment, terror awakened.

And with it — the truth that could destroy them all.