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The moment Alice opened her eyes, she was met with the stark white ceiling of an unfamiliar room. Disorientation clouded her thoughts as she tried to move, only to realize her hand was clutched in the firm grasp of her son, Chase. He lay beside her, worn out, his exhaustion evident in the heavy slumber that had overtaken him. The toll of the previous night's events hung on him, his body curled protectively around her.
The sight of him stirred Alice's emotions—her son, once vibrant and full of life, now seemed a shadow of the young boy she had abandoned. His body appeared malnourished, his hair dull and lackluster, signs of the struggles he'd faced in her absence.
"M-MOM, you're awake!" Chase's voice cracked, a mix of relief and disbelief rising in his tone as he blinked the sleep from his eyes and tightened his grip on her hand.
Tears welled up in Alice's eyes as she took in the changes in him. "Chase, tell me honestly, do you hate me?" Her voice trembled with vulnerability, the weight of her guilt evident in her every word.
Chase hesitated, his gaze meeting hers, torn between his emotions. Finally, he spoke with a mix of candor and forgiveness, "I won't lie, Mom. There was a time I hated you. You left us when we needed you the most, and it hurt. But with time, I started to see that it wasn't all your fault. We were so wrapped up in the mystery of the gateway that we failed to understand your own struggles. But there's still a part of me that holds on to the pain. Things weren't easy after you left. We lost the house, Dad lost his job, and school became unbearable. You know what hurt the most? Hearing that it was Dad's 'punishment'." His voice cracked as he said those words, his resentment towards Dr. Albert palpable.
Alice's tears began to fall freely as she absorbed the weight of Chase's words, realizing the depth of the damage her absence had caused. "Chase, would you believe me if I told you that I only turned to Delbert because he promised to take care of your father? He said he would make sure you didn't go without proper care. I trusted him... and it was all a lie. I'm the one who failed you." Her voice trembled with regret as she spoke. "I didn't reach out to you, and I didn't realize what was really happening. I was paralyzed by guilt... I know I've failed you, and I don't deserve your forgiveness."
Chase squeezed her hand and rested his head gently against it, his voice soft but firm, "I forgive you, Mom. And if this means you're coming back home, I'm ready for that." A genuine smile broke through his pain, a hint of hope in his eyes that had been absent for so long. "I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Chase," Alice whispered, her voice full of sincerity. "My home is with you, always."
Their moment of fragile peace was shattered by the sudden beeping of the cardiac monitor beside her bed. Panic rose in Chase's chest as he saw his mother's condition worsen. "Mom, are you okay? Someone help!" He called out in a panic, shaking her gently. "Where's the doctor? Please, help!"
Nurses rushed into the room, pulling Chase away as they worked urgently to stabilize Alice. His world spun in a blur of uncertainty as he paced outside the room, his nerves fraying with every passing second. Finally, the door opened, and the doctor stepped out.
Chase rushed toward him, his voice trembling with fear, "Is she okay?"
The doctor's expression was grave. "I'm sorry, young man. We did everything we could, but we lost her. She suffered from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart becomes weakened due to extreme emotional or physical stress."
The doctor's words struck Chase like a hammer, and the world seemed to collapse around him. He slapped his own face in disbelief, trying to wake from this nightmare. "No, she can't be gone... I never got to tell her how much I love her!" His voice cracked as he collapsed, tears flooding his eyes. "I never got to say goodbye!"
Rushing into the room, Chase's gaze fell upon his mother's peaceful face, now so still. His knees gave way, and he collapsed beside her bed, wracked with grief. "She can't be gone... It's my fault... If I hadn't gone swimming, if I hadn't seen it... I could have done something..." His voice broke into sobs as he clutched his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Mom. Please forgive me."
In the midst of his grief, the door opened again, and three men in black suits entered the room. Their presence felt ominous, their expressions unreadable. They approached him, and one of them spoke in a somber tone, "Are you Chase Adler?"
Chase's voice was barely a whisper as he replied, "Yes... what's happened?"
The man's next words seemed to freeze the air around them, "We regret to inform you that your father has been assassinated inside his house."
The news hit Chase like a physical blow, leaving him breathless. The anguish he felt was compounded by the devastating realization that both of his parents were now gone, his world falling into chaos and confusion.