After the long day at school, the walk home feels endless to Alex. Each step seems to drag on as he replay the events of the day in his mind, the humiliation and fear gnawing at his insides. The sky is overcast, the gray clouds hanging low, as if reflecting the heaviness in Alex’s heart. By the time he reach the familiar, modest two-story house, he is emotionally drained, barely holding himself together.Alex’s home is one of the few places where he feel safe. The worn wooden steps leading to the front door creak under his weight as he climb them, his fingers brushing against the peeling paint on the banister. Taking a deep breath, he push open the door and step inside, the warm, familiar scent of his grandmother’s cooking wrapping around him like a comforting blanket.Inside, the house is quiet, save for the soft hum of the old refrigerator and the distant ticking of the clock on the wall. Alex drops their bag by the door, his shoulders slumping as he feel the weight of the day full

As Grandma Chen quietly closed the door to Alex’s room, she lingered in the hallway for a moment, her hand resting on the doorknob. The soft sound of Alex’s breathing, finally steadying into the rhythm of sleep, was a bittersweet comfort. It had been a long day, full of pain and fear for Alex, and now, in the quiet solitude of the night, Grandma Chen felt the weight of her own worries settle heavily upon her shoulders.With a sigh, she slowly made her way down the dimly lit hallway to her own bedroom. The house was silent, the only sound the soft creaking of the floorboards under her feet. As she entered her room, she turned on the small lamp by her bedside, its warm light casting long shadows on the walls. The room was filled with memories—old photographs of loved ones, mementos from years gone by, and, tucked away in the bottom drawer of her nightstand, secrets that she had kept hidden for years.Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Grandma Chen felt a familiar pang of guilt and sor

The school day was a blur of anxiety and anticipation. Alex could barely focus on his classes, his mind constantly drifting back to the amulet tucked safely under his shirt. It felt like a secret, a burning truth that only he knew, and it weighed heavily on his chest. He had always been careful, always tried to avoid attention, but now he felt like every eye in the school was on him, like he was carrying something far too powerful to keep hidden.By the time lunch rolled around, Alex’s nerves were frayed. He hadn’t seen Samira yet, and without her, he felt exposed, vulnerable. The memory of the previous day’s bullying was still fresh in his mind, and the thought of facing Victor and his gang again made their stomach turn.But the confrontation was inevitable. As Alex walked down the hallway, trying to keep his head down, he heard the all-too-familiar sound of Victor’s mocking laughter. It sent a shiver down their spine, a wave of dread that made their legs feel like lead. But this tim

The school was a blur as Alex raced through the halls, his mind consumed by a single thought: he had to protect his grandmother. He had to save her.When he finally burst out the front doors and into the daylight, he didn’t stop running. The world around him seemed to slow, as if time itself was bending to his will, and with each step, he felt the power of the amulet lsing stronger within him. It was as though he was being guided, pushed forward by something greater than himself.As he rounded the corner and his house came into view, Alex’s heart dropped. The front door was wide open, hanging off its hinges, and there were signs of a struggle—broken glass, overturned furniture, and a silence that chilled him to the bone.He rushed inside, their breath coming in short, panicked gasps as they searched the house. “Grandma!” Alex called out, his voice trembling with fear. “Grandma, where are you?”But there was no answer. The house was eerily quiet, and as Alex moved from room to room,

The world felt quieter after the storm. Alex stood at the edge of the burial site, Samira by his side, the cool wind tugging at his clothes. It was a day that seemed too serene for the weight of the occasion, as if nature itself hadn’t yet recognized the gravity of what had transpired. They had just buried Grandma Chen, the woman who had been the center of Alex's life for as long as he could remember.Grandma Chen had raised Alex with unwavering love and guidance after the death of his mother. She had been everything to Alex—teacher, protector, and, in many ways, the only family he had left. And now, she was gone. The house that once echoed with her soft humming and wise words stood silent, much like Alex's heart in that moment.Samira, always the dependable friend, stood close to Alex, offering quiet support. She had helped with every step of the burial preparations. Together, they had chosen the spot—a peaceful grove near the family home, surrounded by tall trees that swayed gently