Sarah opened her eyes.
She was back in the empty white room.
The boy stood in front of her, watching. His expression was calm, but there was something unreadable in his eyes.
Sarah felt different, but also… uncertain.
Michael was alive. He was going to keep going. But what about her? Was this it? Was she supposed to just move on now?
She swallowed hard. "What happens next?"
The boy crossed his arms. "That depends on you."
Sarah frowned. "What do you mean?"
"There's a path forward," he said. "Most souls follow it. They move on. They find peace."
Sarah's stomach tightened. "And if I don't take that path?"
The boy exhaled. "Then you stay."
Sarah blinked. "Stay? Here?"
The boy shook his head. "Not here. In the world of the living. But not as you were before."
Sarah's hands curled into fists. "Like… a ghost?"
The boy nodded.
Sarah's breath came quicker. "Why would I do that?"
The boy watched her carefully. "Because you don't want to let go."
Sarah looked away. "That's not fair."
"It's not about fair," the boy said. "It's about what you can accept."
Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat. "If I stay… what happens to me?"
The boy's voice was gentle. "You won't be able to touch the living world. You'll see people, but they won't see you. You'll watch time pass, but you won't be part of it."
Sarah's chest ached. "And if I move on?"
The boy was silent for a long moment. Then, he said, "I don't know."
Sarah looked at him sharply. "What do you mean you don't know?"
He sighed. "No one does. That's the choice."
Sarah wrapped her arms around herself. "If I stay, I can watch over Michael."
The boy nodded.
"But he won't know I'm there."
Again, he nodded.
Sarah closed her eyes.
She had made a promise to protect Michael. She had kept it, but it still didn't feel like enough. He was alive, but he was hurting. If she left, who would be there for him? Who would remind him that he wasn't alone?
She looked up at the boy. "What would you do?"
The boy gave a small smile. "I already made my choice a long time ago."
Sarah frowned. "You… stayed?"
His smile faded. "For a while. But eventually, I let go."
Sarah studied him. "Why?"
His voice was soft. "Because I realized something. The people we love… they carry us with them, even when we're gone."
Sarah's throat tightened.
Michael would carry her with him. In his memories, in his heart. He had promised to keep going.
She exhaled slowly.
"I want to believe that," she said.
The boy nodded. "Then you have your answer."
Sarah's hands trembled. "Will it hurt?"
"No," he said. "It'll feel like falling asleep."
Sarah let out a shaky breath.
She thought of Michael one last time. His face. His voice. His promise.
She closed her eyes.