The snow was melting into the pavement, leaving dark patches of wet stone.

Ethan carried their bags to a modest sedan, having sold his luxury vehicles and signed over his penthouse.

He had bought a small, white-paneled house near the lake, far from the towering shadows of the loop.

I stood on the sidewalk, watching them get into the car.

Lauren waved through the glass, her face bright behind the window.

The gold key remained in my pocket, but its weight was different now; it was no longer a secret, just a memory of what we survived.

Ethan looked back at me one last time and gave a quiet nod of gratitude.

They drove away into the pale winter afternoon, leaving the empty castle behind for good.