Chapter 38: When the Past Dies

A gunshot echoed through the room.

For a split second, Alexander thought he had pulled the trigger. But as his father staggered, eyes wide in shock, he realized the shot had come from behind.

Eve, battered and bruised, stood there with a smoking gun in her shaking hands. Her eyes burned with something raw—not fear, not regret, but justice. His father stumbled, reaching for something that wasn't there, and collapsed.

Alexander stood over the body, watching as the life drained from the man who had shaped his nightmares. The past, the monster, the chains—everything ended in that one moment.

Eve's voice was hoarse, but steady. "Are you free now?"

He exhaled slowly. "You don't kill a ghost. You bury it. And you make damn sure it never climbs out again."

The fire began to spread through the compound, licking up the walls like the hands of a vengeful god. They left the wreckage behind, stepping into the night. But the weight of their actions lingered. Because deep down, they both knew—the past never truly stayed dead.