Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Three cars zoomed through the night, engines roaring.

The wide asphalt road, with bare branches on both sides, blurred past us. Back when I was a kid, Starlight City was just a sleepy little town. But in the last decade, it blew up. The Starlight City now? Totally unrecognizable.

I've always been a bit of a hermit, especially after my parents' accident. Didn't have the time or energy to go out much. So, even though I'm from Starlight City, I barely know the place now. But this stretch of road? It felt weirdly familiar. If I'd walked this road before, it must've been ages ago.

After another twenty minutes of driving, we finally pulled over. As soon as I stepped out, a big neon sign caught my eye: Silent Grove Village.

Silent Grove Village was this swanky resort that popped up a few years back. Never been, but I've heard the buzz.

The gatekeeper spotted us from a distance, swung the gate open, and called out, "Mr. Windsor."

Ethan nodded and strolled in without breaking stride.

I was scratching my head. Was Silent Grove Village another one of Skyline International Corporation's properties? We walked in without a hitch.

The name Silent Grove Village probably comes from its tucked-away spot in the thick forest, making it super quiet. I wasn't here to sightsee; I just wanted to find Faye ASAP.

After climbing some stone steps and walking through a corridor, a guy came up to us from the other end.

"Mr. Windsor."

"Where is she?"

Ethan's face was calm, but you could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Follow me."

He quickly led the way, saying, "I compared the missing person notice you sent. I think the girl should be the one you're looking for."

From his words, it sounded like Faye was safe, and I felt a bit of relief.

Next to the corridor was a row of wooden houses, and I could hear the clatter of mahjong tiles. Must be the game room.

After climbing another set of stone steps and passing through an archway, the guy led us into a room in the courtyard and was totally floored.

"Where is she? She was just here. I even brought her some food. How could she be gone now?"

He looked like he was about to panic, his neck turning red with anxiety.

The room was decked out in Baroque style. There was food on the big round table, untouched.

The guy suddenly gasped and pointed at a nearby wine rack.

"Where'd those two bottles of wine go?"

Ethan squinted at the untouched food on the table and said just two word.

"Find her."

If the guy was sure he saw Faye, she had to be around here somewhere.

Soon, a whole squad of people was called in to start searching.

I had no clue about the layout of Silent Grove Village, so I just stuck close to Ethan.

After a bit, someone suddenly yelled, "Mr. Windsor, over there."

We all turned to look where he was pointing.

It was tough to see in the dark, but Silent Grove Village had these small floor lamps scattered around.

By their light, we could just make out a big glass walkway on the steep hilltop. There seemed to be someone sitting on a rock at the end of the walkway. It was too far to be sure, but it had to be Faye. Ethan took the lead, heading up the stone steps, and we all followed.

The steep stone steps were pretty intimidating. I'm not great with heights, and looking down halfway up made my legs feel like jelly.

"Don't worry. I'm right behind you," Jason's voice was super comforting.

I took a deep breath and powered my way to the top.

Faye was sitting on the rock, and one wrong move could send her tumbling down. It was seriously nerve-wracking.

"Faye," Ethan called out.

Faye whipped around, looking startled, and shouted, "Don't come any closer."

None of us dared to make any sudden moves.

There were two bottles of wine next to Faye, and the wind carried the smell of booze.

"Faye, be careful, don't fall," Oliver shouted.

Faye stayed put, staring into the night, and said, "Ethan, do you think I'm useless? I can't do anything right. If it were Fiona, she would've moved up, right?"

Faye's voice was shaky and had that slurred, drunk edge to it.

Ethan replied, "Everyone messes up sometimes. There'll be more chances. Don't be so hard on yourself."

His tone was super patient but had a hint of worry. He was scared Faye might do something crazy and hurt herself.

But Faye wasn't hearing any of it; she just kept crying.

"My whole life, I've never been as good as Fiona. Fiona was beautiful and sang like an angel. She shouldn't have died so young. It should've been me."

I couldn't see Ethan's face as Faye kept bringing up Fiona. All I knew was that a name from the past still had a huge impact on me.

Staring at Faye's silhouette in the night, I said slowly, "The toughest person isn't Superman; it's the one who gets knocked down a hundred times and gets up a hundred and one times. Superman's just strong, but that person? They're fearless." Ethan's posture stiffened a bit, and after a moment, he turned to look at me.

Our eyes met, and I could see he was moved.

He had taught me that. Whenever I felt lost, I'd repeat that phrase to myself. I might not be strong, but I had to be fearless.

Of course, now wasn't the time to argue with Faye about right and wrong. Even if I felt wronged, I'd wait until she calmed down to talk it out.

But Faye didn't appreciate it; she sneered.

"You're so fake. You wish I were dead, and now you're playing the good guy in front of Ethan?"

Good intentions always seemed to get misunderstood and stomped on; I could only smile bitterly.

Jason gently placed his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

Faye seemed like she was losing it, talking to herself and spouting nonsense.

"I just saw Fiona. She told me to go with her. I really want to go with Fiona. She was right; this world is cold; only Fiona was good to me. I want to go where she is. Without Fiona, I have nothing."

I was really scared Faye might do something drastic.

She was still young and hadn't done anything unforgivable. Even if she once wanted to hurt me, I wasn't heartless enough to wish her dead.

"You still have me," Ethan said patiently, his voice low.

The wind on the mountaintop suddenly picked up, and I shivered, a suffocating pain spreading in my chest.

Faye turned around abruptly, looking both shocked and disbelieving.

Ethan took a step towards her. "Faye, there are many ways to achieve your dreams. A talent show is just one. If this path doesn't work, we'll find another. Do you really think I can't help you make it happen?"

Faye seemed swayed by his words and said softly, "Fiona's dream was to sing the songs she loved and to hold her own concert. Unfortunately, she couldn't achieve it. I want to fulfill this dream for her. Ethan, if one day I can hold my own concert, Fiona would be very happy, right?"

"Yes, it will happen. Trust me."

Ethan nodded, his steps never stopping, getting closer and closer to her.

He opened his arms and said gently, "Come here."

Faye didn't move, but she wasn't as worked up as before.

Ethan kept going. "Faye, I will help you achieve your dreams."

A few seconds later, Faye slowly reached out, and Ethan lifted her off the rock.

Once on solid ground, Faye hugged Ethan tightly.

Faye had said she would show me how much Ethan loved Fiona.

And yeah, I saw it. He still loved her deeply, which was why he now extended that love to Faye.

The scene made my heart ache. I looked away, my gaze falling through the transparent glass beneath my feet to the dark cliff below.

I suddenly felt dizzy, and my legs went weak.

A pair of arms caught me from behind just in time, and Jason's concerned voice sounded in my ear.

"Are you okay?"

Ethan turned to look in our direction. I couldn't see his expression, but I knew he was still holding Faye tightly.

I admit I couldn't keep it together at that moment. I couldn't fight for anything in such a situation. I suddenly wanted to escape.

I whispered, "I'm afraid of heights. I want to go down."

Jason held my arm steadily. "Okay, I'll help you."

He helped me down, and as we passed a guest room, he asked, "Shall we go in and rest for a bit?"

I shook my head and said, "Faye is safe, so I'm relieved. Let's go. I don't think we are needed here anymore."

Jason got it and nodded. "Okay."

We left Silent Grove Village, and I got into Jason's car. He quickly drove away.

Silent Grove Village soon disappeared from the rearview mirror, and my heart felt empty. A strong sense of sadness quickly surged within me, completely overwhelming me.

I wondered if I had met the right person at the wrong time. What if I had met him before Fiona? Would he have loved me as deeply as he loved Fiona?

"Ethan's feelings for Faye are not romantic," Jason said, driving steadily, his tone as calm as ever.

I leaned weakly against the car window and said sadly, "He used up all his love on Fiona. So even if he extends that love to Faye, it will still be so intense." Jason sighed softly, seemingly unsure of what to say.

Suddenly, a tree by the roadside caught my eye, and I shouted excitedly, "Stop the car."

Jason pulled over to the side of the road.

I got out and walked to the tree.

It was a kapok tree. Although all its leaves had fallen, I remembered it.

Looking up at the intricate branches, tears rolled down my cheeks.

No matter how much the surroundings changed, I still remembered this tree.