Elias did not sleep that night.

He sat beside the broken window until morning, watching the forest.

The little boy never returned.

Neither did the figure wearing his father’s face.

But Elias could feel something watching him.

It was a strange sensation.

Not like someone standing nearby.

It felt deeper.

As if something had entered his thoughts and was quietly reading them.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the same image.

His father standing beneath the dead tree.

Daniel was smiling.

But tears were running down his face.

Elias wanted to speak to him.

He couldn’t.

Every time he tried, Daniel disappeared.

At six in the morning, his mother came into the room.

She looked exhausted.

“Did you sleep?”

“No.”

She sat beside him.

“Today is your birthday.”

Elias looked at the calendar.

September 13.

His eighteenth birthday.

He had always imagined this day differently.

He had imagined friends.

Cake.

Music.

His mother making his favorite food.

Maybe a new watch.

Instead, the house was silent.

The windows were broken.

And something from the dead was waiting for him.

His mother touched his face.

“I am sorry.”

“For what?”

“For bringing you into this.”

“You didn’t.”

She looked away.

“Yes, I did.”

Elias frowned.

“What do you mean?”

She stood.

“There are things I never told you.”

“Then tell me now.”

She walked toward the kitchen.

Elias followed.

She opened an old cabinet and took out a small metal box.

She placed it on the table.

“This belonged to your father.”

Elias opened it.

Inside was a bundle of letters.

The first one had his name on it.

FOR ELIAS — WHEN HE TURNS EIGHTEEN.

His hands began shaking.

“Why didn’t you give this to me before?”

“Because your father told me not to.”

“He knew this would happen.”

“Yes.”

Elias opened the letter.

His father’s handwriting appeared.

My son,

If you are reading this, then I have failed.

Elias stopped.

His eyes filled with tears.

He continued.

I wish I could have been there to watch you become a man.

I wish I could have taught you everything I knew.

I wish I could have protected you.

But there are some things even a father cannot protect his son from.

Elias swallowed.

The next line was darker.

If I return to you, do not believe me.

Elias looked at his mother.

She was crying.

He continued.

If you see my face, remember that it may not belong to me.

If you hear my voice, remember that it knows every memory I have ever shared with you.

It will use my love against you.

Elias closed his eyes.

The creature had already done that.

His father had been its weapon.

The letter continued.

There is only one way to destroy it.

Elias’s heart began beating faster.

He read the next sentence.

You must refuse the sacrifice.

He frowned.

“What does that mean?”

His mother whispered,

“Keep reading.”

The curse survives because every father eventually chooses to die for his son.

It convinces the father that sacrifice is love.

It convinces the son that accepting the sacrifice is love.

Both are wrong.

Elias stared at the words.

His father continued:

Love is not death.

Love is not suffering.

Love is not allowing darkness to consume you.

If it asks you to choose between your life and mine, choose neither.

Elias looked up.

“Neither?”

His mother nodded.

“Your father spent years searching for another way.”

“Did he find one?”

“No.”

Elias returned to the letter.

The final paragraph was written in darker ink.

The house has a heart.

It is beneath the dead tree.

Destroy the heart and the curse will die.

Elias’s eyes widened.

“But the creature said the curse needs a father.”

“It does.”

“Then why doesn’t it just kill me?”

His mother whispered,

“Because it needs you to choose.”

---

The morning passed strangely.

No sunlight entered the house.

Even though the sky outside was clear, the rooms remained dark.

At noon, Elias heard a clock strike.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

He looked at the wall.

There was no clock.

His mother heard it too.

She dropped the plate she was holding.

“What is that?”

The striking continued.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Then silence.

Elias looked at the pocket watch.

Its hands had stopped.

12:00.

Exactly midnight.

Except it was noon.

His mother whispered,

“It has started.”

“What?”

“Your birthday.”

The house suddenly became colder.

The front door opened.

Neither of them moved.

A voice came from outside.

“Elias.”

His mother grabbed his arm.

“Don’t.”

The voice came again.

“Elias.”

It was his father.

This time, his voice sounded exactly as Elias remembered it.

Warm.

Gentle.

Familiar.

The voice he had missed for seven years.

“Son.”

Elias’s eyes filled with tears.

His mother whispered,

“Don’t answer.”

But Elias wanted to.

He wanted to hear his father again.

He wanted to believe.

The voice spoke softly.

“I’ve missed you.”

Elias closed his eyes.

His father had said that once.

When Elias was six.

After returning from a business trip.

He had hugged Elias and said,

“I missed you more than you can imagine.”

The creature knew that memory.

It was using it.

Elias stepped toward the door.

His mother pulled him back.

“No.”

“But what if it’s him?”

“It isn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because your father would never ask you to come outside.”

The voice changed.

“Your mother is lying.”

His mother went pale.

“Elias…”

The voice continued.

“She always lied to you.”

Elias looked at his mother.

“Is that true?”

She began crying.

“Yes.”

The voice laughed softly.

“I told you.”

His mother shook her head.

“Not about everything.”

“What did you lie about?”

She couldn’t answer.

The voice spoke again.

“Ask her about the night I died.”

Elias stared at his mother.

“What happened that night?”

She looked down.

“I wasn’t there.”

“What?”

“I wasn’t with your father.”

“Where were you?”

“I followed him.”

“To the house?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“I saw him enter.”

“Why didn’t you go inside?”

She closed her eyes.

“Because someone was standing in the doorway.”

“Who?”

“Your grandfather.”

Elias froze.

“Samuel?”

“Yes.”

“But he was dead.”

“I know.”

“What did he tell you?”

“He said I had to leave.”

“Why?”

“Because Daniel had already made his choice.”

“What choice?”

She began crying.

“He had agreed to become the new father.”

Elias’s blood went cold.

“What does that mean?”

“He was going to take the curse away from you.”

“But he failed.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because the curse doesn’t let fathers die.”

She looked toward the doorway.

“It keeps them alive inside itself.”

---

At sunset, Elias returned to the forest.

His mother wanted to come.

He refused.

“You don’t understand.”

“I understand enough.”

“If you go alone, you may die.”

“If I stay, it will come here.”

His mother didn’t argue.

She handed him the iron key.

“Then take this.”

Elias hugged her.

“I’ll come back.”

She held him tightly.

“You’re still my little boy.”

He smiled sadly.

“I’m eighteen.”

“To me, you’ll always be six.”

He pulled away.

Then she whispered,

“Elias.”

“Yes?”

“If you see your father…”

He waited.

“Tell him I never stopped loving him.”

Elias nodded.

“I will.”

He walked into the forest.

---

The black house stood beneath a red sky.

It looked different now.

The windows were open.

The doors were gone.

The dead tree beside it had grown taller.

Its branches stretched across the roof.

Roots covered the walls like veins.

Elias approached.

The front entrance was open.

Inside, hundreds of candles burned.

The photographs on the walls were different.

Each one showed a father and son.

But in every photograph, the father was looking away.

As if he couldn’t bear to look at his child.

Elias walked deeper.

A voice whispered,

“Elias.”

He stopped.

Daniel stood at the end of the hallway.

His real father.

Elias knew immediately.

Something about him was different.

There was sadness in his eyes.

No darkness.

No unnatural smile.

Just exhaustion.

“Dad.”

Daniel smiled.

“My son.”

Elias wanted to run to him.

Instead, he stayed where he was.

“You’re really here.”

“For a little while.”

“Where are you?”

“Between places.”

“What does that mean?”

Daniel looked toward the floor.

“The house keeps pieces of people.”

“Are you trapped?”

“Yes.”

“Can I save you?”

Daniel shook his head.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what it wants you to believe.”

Elias understood.

The creature wanted him to sacrifice himself.

Daniel continued.

“You cannot save me.”

“But I can destroy it.”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“You already know.”

“The heart.”

Daniel nodded.

“Under the tree.”

“Then let’s go.”

Daniel shook his head.

“You must go alone.”

“Why?”

“Because it will use me against you.”

Elias looked at him.

“I don’t care.”

“You will.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“Elias, listen to me.”

His voice trembled.

“I need you to promise me something.”

“What?”

“If you hear me begging…”

Elias stared.

“…don’t believe me.”

“What?”

“If you see me suffering, don’t save me.”

Tears filled Elias’s eyes.

“I can’t do that.”

“You must.”

“You’re my father.”

“And that is exactly why it will use me.”

Daniel reached out.

Elias finally stepped forward.

Their hands touched.

For the first time in seven years, Elias felt his father’s hand.

It was warm.

Real.

Elias began crying.

“I missed you.”

Daniel smiled.

“I know.”

“I thought you abandoned me.”

“Never.”

“You should have come home.”

“I tried.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Daniel’s eyes filled with tears.

“Because every time I came close, it followed me.”

Elias whispered,

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not remembering you enough.”

Daniel shook his head.

“Don’t ever say that.”

“Why?”

“Because forgetting is not the opposite of love.”

He placed his hand against Elias’s cheek.

“You were a child.”

“I still remember your laugh.”

Daniel smiled.

“I remember yours.”

Elias cried.

Daniel stepped away.

“You have until midnight.”

“For what?”

“To destroy the heart.”

“And if I fail?”

Daniel looked at him.

“Then you will become what I became.”

“What?”

“A father who cannot die.”

---

The ground beneath them suddenly shook.

Daniel looked frightened.

“Go.”

“What?”

“Now.”

A voice came from behind Elias.

“Elias.”

The creature.

Elias turned.

Daniel shouted,

“Don’t look!”

But Elias did.

The creature stood at the end of the hall.

It wore Daniel’s face.

But now there were two Daniels.

One beside Elias.

One in the doorway.

The creature smiled.

“You see?”

Elias stepped back.

“You cannot tell which one is real.”

The creature laughed.

“Exactly.”

It raised a hand.

“Choose.”

Elias stared at both.

His real father looked terrified.

The other smiled.

“Choose your father.”

The creature pointed at Daniel.

“He wants you to save him.”

Daniel shook his head.

“No.”

The creature smiled.

“He’s lying.”

Elias felt his heart breaking.

The creature continued.

“Your father suffered for seven years.”

Daniel whispered,

“Don’t listen.”

“He begged for you.”

“Don’t.”

“He screamed your name.”

Elias covered his ears.

“Stop.”

“He wants to come home.”

Daniel cried,

“Elias, run!”

The creature screamed.

The house shook.

Elias ran.

---

He reached the dead tree.

The roots had split open.

Beneath them was a stone staircase.

Elias descended.

At the bottom was a circular room.

In the center stood a black stone.

It pulsed like a heartbeat.

Thump.

Elias froze.

Thump.

The walls trembled.

Thump.

The heart of the house.

He approached.

A face appeared in the stone.

His father’s face.

“Elias.”

He stopped.

The stone spoke.

“Save me.”

Elias closed his eyes.

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“I am your father.”

“No.”

“I love you.”

Elias’s eyes filled with tears.

“I know.”

“Then save me.”

Elias shook his head.

“I love you enough not to.”

Silence.

The face disappeared.

The stone cracked.

A scream came from inside it.

Not one voice.

Hundreds.

Fathers.

Sons.

Mothers.

Children.

All screaming together.

The house began collapsing.

Elias raised the iron key.

He remembered his father’s words.

Love is not death.

He drove the key into the black stone.

The room exploded with darkness.

Elias screamed.

Something grabbed him.

A thousand hands.

Then he heard his father’s voice.

“Elias!”

He opened his eyes.

Daniel stood before him.

Real.

His father smiled.

“You did it.”

“Dad!”

Elias ran toward him.

Daniel caught him.

They hugged.

For one perfect moment, there was no curse.

No house.

No darkness.

Just a father and son.

Then Daniel whispered,

“You have to let me go.”

Elias’s heart broke.

“No.”

“It’s over.”

“Come home.”

“I can’t.”

“Please.”

Daniel smiled through his tears.

“You saved me.”

“How?”

“By letting me leave.”

The house shook.

Daniel began fading.

Elias held him tighter.

“I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You won’t.”

“How?”

“Look for me in the memories.”

Daniel kissed his forehead.

“Not in the darkness.”

Then he disappeared.

Elias screamed.

The black stone shattered.

The house collapsed.

He ran.

Behind him, the dead tree split apart.

A wave of darkness exploded through the forest.

Then—

silence.

---

At sunrise, Elias woke beneath a tree.

His mother was beside him.

She was crying.

“You’re alive.”

Elias looked at her.

“Mom.”

She hugged him.

“What happened?”

Elias looked toward the hill.

The black house was gone.

Only ashes remained.

He reached into his pocket.

The silver watch was still there.

He opened it.

The photograph had changed.

His father stood beside him.

Both were smiling.

The black figure was gone.

Elias smiled.

“He’s free.”

His mother closed her eyes.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Then Elias noticed something.

The second hand of the watch had stopped.

At exactly midnight.

His birthday was over.

The curse was broken.

Or so he thought.

Because when he closed the watch—

he heard a child’s voice behind him.

“Daddy?”

Elias froze.

His mother looked at him.

“What is it?”

He slowly turned.

Nobody was there.

Only the forest.

Only the trees.

Only the morning fog.

Then, somewhere far away—

three knocks echoed through the woods.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Elias stared toward the darkness.

His mother whispered,

“Elias…”

He held her hand.

“I know.”

Because the curse might have been broken.

But something had survived.

And deep beneath the earth, beneath the roots of the dead tree, something was still breathing.

Something that had learned a new face.

His face.

END OF CHAPTER FOUR