Ethan didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. His calm, piercing stare said everything, and the shopkeeper felt like he was being burned alive. “I-I swear!” the shopkeeper stammered, backing up. “I… I didn’t mean to—please! I didn’t! I was just… I was just trying to… I…” Ethan’s eyes never left him. “Edward,” he said quietly, almost imperceptibly, “hand him over.” Edward’s grin widened, his mind clearly turning over something. “Really? You want him?” “Yes,” Ethan said firmly, his voice steady, unwavering. Edward’s eyes flicked back to the shopkeeper, then to Ethan. A sly smile played at the corner of his lips. “Hmm… I see. I see… yes, I have an idea.” The shopkeeper looked between them, trembling violently. “I-I can explain! I… I didn’t mean—please! I can give you whatever you want, just… just don’t hurt me! Don’t hurt me, please!” Edward raised an eyebrow, his smile growing. “Well, well… Ethan, my friend… if you really want him, I might just be persuaded.” He glanced at the sh

Ethan swallowed hard. He felt his hands trembling slightly. Stay calm… just explain. “When I first touched it, I felt… something inside me wake. Like a part of my family was speaking to me through it. I… I couldn’t let it go. Not for anything. I knew… I knew it was mine.”Elsa, who had been standing quietly behind him, reached out and touched his shoulder gently. “Ethan, breathe. It’s okay,” she whispered. Her eyes were wide with concern, but her calmness helped him straighten.Edward’s laugh had faded now, replaced with a slow, creeping disbelief. “You… you actually feel it? You’re serious?” His voice was low, almost cautious, as if he were testing Ethan.“Yes,” Ethan said quietly, but with determination. “I am serious. That’s why I came here tonight. That’s why I stopped you from selling it. Even for a million dollars… I couldn’t let it go.” He could feel his heart racing. I hope he believes me… I hope he understands…Edward’s eyes narrowed. “Huh. Well, this… this is new. I didn’t e

Edward rubbed his chin, pacing slowly. His eyes were sharp, full of curiosity and something else… something like excitement mixed with fear. “I… I need proof,” he said quietly. “I need to see it… for real. I can feel it… but I must be sure. One hundred percent.”Ethan looked at him calmly, though his heart was still beating fast. “Proof? How do you want me to show it?” he asked.Edward’s lips curled into a small smile. “Blood… perhaps dropping a little blood onto the necklace… might trigger it. That will show me for certain. Only then will I know… if you are truly a Storm.”Ethan frowned, thinking carefully. “I… I can do that. But not here. Not on the street. We need somewhere safe. Somewhere no one can see… no one can get hurt if something happens.”Edward raised an eyebrow, but nodded slowly. “Yes… yes, of course. Anywhere you want. You choose the place. I trust you.”Elsa stepped closer, her hand on Ethan’s arm. “Then we should go. I have somewhere safe… my villa. No one will distu

Ethan looked down at his hands. They were glowing faintly, just like the necklace. “Awakened…” he said slowly. “I felt it. The light… it called to me.”The man nodded. “That was your blood remembering us. The necklace holds the memory of our power. When your blood touched it, the bond was complete. You are one of us now, Ethan. Truly one of us.”Ethan’s eyes filled with tears. “I… I thought I was alone. I thought everyone was gone…”The woman stepped closer and placed her hand gently over his heart. “You are not alone. We live within you. Our strength… our courage… our legacy. All of it is yours now.”The other spirits around them began to nod. Their eyes glowed brighter. The air seemed to hum with soft energy.Ethan felt warmth fill his chest. It was powerful but peaceful. He could feel every beat of his heart echo like thunder in his ears. “What… what am I supposed to do with this?” he asked softly.The man smiled again. “Use it. Protect it. Find the truth that was lost. Your family

Elsa’s phone began to buzz. The sudden sound broke the quiet in the room. Ethan turned to her.“Who is it?” he asked.Elsa glanced at the screen and frowned. “It’s… my grandmother.”Ethan tilted his head. “Mrs. Logan? Why’s she calling this late?”Elsa hesitated. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s nothing important.”“Then pick it up,” Ethan said gently.“I don’t want to,” Elsa muttered, lowering her phone.“You should,” Ethan urged. “It might be serious.”After a moment of silence, she sighed and answered. “Hello, Grandma?”Mrs. Logan’s voice came sharp through the speaker. “Elsa! Come home. Right now.”Elsa blinked in confusion. “What? Why?”“That useless friend of yours—Ethan—has something that belongs to us!”“What? Grandma, what are you talking ab—”But before she could finish, the line went dead.Elsa stared at her phone, stunned. “She hung up.”Ethan frowned. “What did she mean? Something that belongs to them?”Elsa clenched her jaw. “I know exactly what this is about. My uncle Ron. He