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"Personal belongings."
"Our investigation showed over a dozen calls and hundreds of texts."
"Earlier intervention... might have prevented this tragedy."
The sisters froze.
Scarlett grabbed the officer's arm.
"What do you mean? What are you saying??"
The officer looked confused. "You weren't aware?"
"Mr. Hayes and Mr. Chen still had vital signs after the initial collapse."
"The location was remote, complex. Delayed pinpointing hampered rescue."
"If someone familiar with their position had alerted us promptly... the outcome might differ."
The last light died in Evelyn's eyes. She crumpled.
"It was me… It was us who killed them."
"If we hadn't picked Misty Peaks... if we hadn't made them wait... if we'd answered..."
"Liam... Liam wouldn't be gone."
"All our fault."
She broke down completely—slapping herself, knocking her head on the floor, begging for our forgiveness.
...
They took our bodies home, keeping vigil beside us, refusing to eat or drink.
They abandoned their companies, the hospital, everything—just sitting by our remains, apologizing over and over, praying we would come back..
Everyone thought them mad.
They urged the sisters to bury us and move on.
Evelyn refused. Scarlett shattered anything near her, drove out anyone mentioning Liam's death.
Desperate, they called Ethan.
His second visit to the mansion. The first was to gloat over Liam and me. He boasted one word from him could make Evelyn and Scarlett forget us.
He was mostly right. He didn't expect death to break them.
The house was dark, curtains drawn, AC cranked low. Ethan shivered.
He picked through debris, slipped on ice chips, fell hard.
Glass shards cut his palm. Before he cried out, hands shoved him aside.
Ethan screamed.
Next to mine and Liam’s coffins, the walls were covered in talismans and occult symbols drawn in cinnabar..
"Liam... why won't you see me?" Evelyn murmured, stroking the wood, eyes hollow, tears dried.
Nearby, Scarlett painted symbols, chanting.
"The master says... my heart isn't pure enough."
"Blood... more blood... will wake Liam."
Ethan lunged, grabbing her. "Scarlett, snap out of it!"
"Liam is dead!"
"Can't you see that?"
"Lies!" Scarlett shoved him down, staggering up, pointing wildly.
"Liam promised! Forever!"
"He never breaks promises! He's just angry!"
"He'll come back!"
