bond between them was unbreakable.Ethan's dad noticed the change in him. "You did something, didn't you?"Ethan nodded. "It's done."Tom hugged him, something he hadn't done in years. "I'm pr

y get suspicious looks and extra homework."Ethan laughed, the sound surprising him. "I'll take that over shadows any day."They talked for hours, piecing together what had happened. The journal was gone, destroyed in the chamber's collapse, but Lila had memorized enough to keep researching. "I'm applying to colleges with archaeology programs," she said, her eyes bright. "There's more to this Circle thing, I know it. Not just in Willow Creek, but other places. Old places."Marcus raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna be digging up creepy artifacts for a living? Brave.""What about you?" Ethan asked. "Still planning that ghost-hunting business?"Marcus grinned. "Nah, man. I'm thinking food truck. Fries this good deserve to be shared with the world."They laughed, and Ethan felt a warmth he hadn't known he was missing. These were his people, the ones who'd stood with him in the dark. He didn't know what he'd do without them, and for the first time, he didn't have to worry about it. They were staying, at least for now.As the sun dipped low, casting golden light through the diner's windows, Ethan's thoughts drifted to the future. School would end in a few months, and he'd always assumed he'd be stuck in Willow Creek, working at the shop, living his dad's life. But now? The world felt bigger. Not because the shadow was gone, but because he'd faced it and walked away. He could do anything."Hey," Lila said, nudging him. "You're zoning out. What's next for you?"Ethan leaned back, staring at the ceiling fan spinning lazily above. "I don't know yet. Maybe college. Maybe travel. I just... I want to see what's out there."Marcus nodded, serious for once. "You'll figure it out. You always do."That night, Ethan biked to the mill one last time. The ruins were cordoned off with caution tape, but he ducked under it, his flashlight cutting through the dusk. The chamber was gone, buried under collapsed brick and steel, but he could still feel the weight of it-the altar, the carvings, the shadow's voice. He stood where the altar had been, the broken-crown symbol barely visible in the rubble. A breeze stirred the air, carrying a faint whisper, not threatening but curious: What will you do now?Ethan smiled. "Live," he said aloud. "Really live."He thought about his great-aunt Eleanor, who'd faced the same choice and paid a price he'd never fully understand. He thought about his dad, who'd carried the pain of her loss but still got up every day. And he thought about himself-Ethan Carter, the kid who'd found a box and ended up saving a town. He wasn't a guardian, not in the way the Circle wanted, but he was something better: himself.Back home, he pulled out a notebook and started writing. Not a journal like the one from the box, but something new. Ideas, dreams, places he