Chapter 23: Echo of the Ruin (Continuation)
The house was silent, yet its walls whispered.
Rei entered the oldest room in the east wing. Symbols etched beneath layers of old paint acted as seals, drawn to keep something in. Touching them triggered visions—a hallway that didn't exist. Children in gray gowns, silent and forgotten. Once, the house protected them. Once, Ershem sang to them in the creak of the floorboards and guarded their dreams.
But then came the fire.
The orphanage staff discovered the hidden basement. They used it as a punishment chamber. The children suffered. Ershem felt their pain and twisted. He became rage. He became justice. The seals tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Rei collapsed, uncovering ancient records. Each child had a story. And Yuki... Yuki had been one of them. A hidden file. A diagnosis: "Persistent silence." A chilling note: "High potential for connection with the entity."
And the room whispered again:
"Do you remember now…?"
Rei saw Ershem, standing behind him in the reflection.
And he knew—he couldn't stay silent anymore.