Chapter 4: Morning Echoes

The next morning—April 5th, exactly 8:00 AM—

The quiet hallway shattered under the sound of hurried footsteps.

Cora ran.

Her breathing was uneven, her heartbeat loud in her ears as urgency drove her forward. She didn’t slow, didn’t hesitate—she reached Kate’s door and slammed it open with a force that echoed through the house.

Bang!

Kate jolted awake.

“—What the—?! Cora?!” he snapped, pushing himself upright, hair disheveled and eyes barely open. “Do you mind?!”

“No time for that!” Cora shot back. “Get up, Kate!”

“It’s eight in the morning!” he groaned. “This better be important—”

“It is. Something’s wrong.”

That made him pause.

Kate rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the haze of sleep as he looked at her more carefully. The tension in her posture—the urgency in her voice—it wasn’t like her usual teasing.

“You just nearly broke my door,” he muttered. “It better be more than ‘something’s wrong.’”

“I’m serious,” she said, quieter now—but no less tense. “I wouldn’t wake you like this if it wasn’t urgent.”

Kate exhaled, then swung his legs off the bed.

“…Alright. I’m listening. What happened?”

Cora steadied her breath.

“You need to come with me. Now.”

He stared at her for a moment.

She wasn’t joking.

“…Fine,” he said, standing. “Give me one minute.”

When they stepped into the living room—

Kate stopped.

Alina Sinclair sat comfortably on the couch, a book resting in her hands, completely at ease.

Kate’s eye twitched.

“…Corazelle.”

He lightly tapped the top of Cora’s head.

“You said it was urgent.”

“Ow—!” Cora rubbed her head, pouting. “I only said that because if I didn’t, you wouldn’t be awake right now.”

A soft laugh broke the tension.

Alina closed her book and stood, her expression warm. “Good morning. I see you’re still not a morning person.”

Cora leaned toward her with a mischievous grin, lowering her voice.

“Yep. He was still hugging his blanket when I went into his room.”

“Hey—!” Kate shot her an annoyed look. “I can hear you.”

Cora giggled, clearly pleased with herself.

“Alright, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.”

With a casual wave, she turned and walked out, the door closing softly behind her.

Silence lingered for a moment.

Kate sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. “You didn’t have to hear that…”

Alina laughed softly as she stepped closer. “Oh, I think it’s cute.”

“Cute?” he repeated, raising a brow. “I was just exposed.”

“So it’s true, then?” she teased. “You still cling to your blanket like a child?”

Kate crossed his arms, attempting seriousness—but the faint blush on his face betrayed him.

“It’s comfortable. That’s all.”

Alina’s smile softened, her gaze gentle. “You’ve always been like that… even before.”

His expression shifted, something quieter settling in his eyes.

“And you still stayed.”

She stepped closer.

“Of course I did.”

The space between them is filled with something unspoken—something warm, steady, familiar.

After a moment, Kate cleared his throat lightly.

“So… what are you reading?”

Alina lifted the book slightly. “Just something to pass the time while waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me, huh?” he smirked. “You could’ve woken me up yourself.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” she replied. “I wanted to see how long it would take before Cora dragged you out of bed.”

Kate chuckled under his breath. “You two planned this, didn’t you?”

Alina simply smiled.

He exhaled again—but this time, there was no annoyance in it.

“Next time… just wake me up.”

She tilted her head. “And risk getting punched like Cora?”

“I’d never punch you.”

“I know.”

Their eyes met.

Quiet. Gentle. Certain.

They eventually took their seats on opposite ends of the couch, facing each other.

Alina’s gaze drifted toward the door Cora had exited, her expression softening.

“She’s changed… hasn’t she?”

Kate followed her gaze.

“…Yeah. A lot.”

A pause.

“I remember when she barely spoke,” Alina continued quietly. “She would just sit in the corner… watching everything.”

Kate let out a faint, nostalgic chuckle.

“She used to hide behind me whenever someone talked to her. Even simple questions would make her freeze.”

Alina smiled, though there was a trace of sadness in it.

“And now she won’t stop talking.”

“Tell me about it,” Kate said. “It’s like she’s making up for all those quiet years.”

Silence settled again.

Heavier this time.

“Do you think…” Alina began softly, “she forced herself to change?”

Alina’s gaze lowered.

“I remember…”

The room grew still.

Memories surfaced—uninvited, but impossible to ignore.

Renna.

And the other boy.

Laughter echoed faintly in their minds—bright, warm, alive. Sunlit days that felt endless. Smiles that came easily. A time when everything felt lighter… simpler.

For a brief moment, it was all there again.

Soft.

Golden.

And unbearably distant.

Laughter echoed faintly in their minds—bright, warm, alive.

A small field stretched beneath a golden sky, sunlight spilling across the grass like a gentle promise. The air was filled with the sound of carefree voices, light footsteps, and joy untouched by time.

They were all there.

Younger.

Free.

Renna stood at the center, her smile radiant, her laughter soft but full of life. The wind played with her hair as she turned, calling out—

“Catch me if you can!”

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Kate shouted, chasing after her with a grin, her energy unrestrained, full of life.

Alina followed behind, calmer but just as amused, shaking her head slightly. “You’re both going to trip at this rate…”

And then—

There was him.

Eric.

He laughed, running past them with ease, his presence steady, warm—like someone who naturally held everything together.

“You’re too slow,” he teased lightly, glancing back at Renna.

She caught up to him, slightly out of breath, but smiling.

“That’s because you cheated.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

They slowed down eventually, laughter fading into quiet smiles as they stood beneath the sunlight.

For a moment—

Everything felt perfect.

Renna glanced at Eric.

Not just as a friend.

But as something more.

Something unspoken.

Something real.

And he looked back.

The same way.

Kate noticed.

“… Wow,” he muttered under his breath, folding his arms with a half-smirk. “They’re not even trying to hide it.”

Alina sighed softly, though a faint smile appeared. “… Let them be.”

The laughter returned.

The moment lingered.

Soft.

Golden.

Endless.

Until—

It wasn’t.

The memory twisted.

The sky darkened.

The warmth faded.

And the laughter—

Stopped.

Eric was gone.

He passed away at the age of eight.

No warning.

No explanation.

No goodbye.

One day he was there—

And the next—

He no longer existed in this world.

Renna stood in silence.

The place where they once laughed now felt empty… hollow.

“…No…”

Her voice broke.

Small.

Fragile.

“This isn’t funny…”

But no one answered.

Kate stood frozen, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The usual confidence in him vanished, replaced by something raw—helplessness.

“… This isn’t right…” he muttered under his breath.

Alina stepped forward slowly, her expression shaken but controlled.

“…Renna…”

But Renna didn’t move.

Tears fell silently down her face.

One after another.

Unstoppable.

“He said… he’d stay…”

Her voice trembled, barely holding together.

Kate stepped closer, his voice softer than it had ever been.

“Renna… we’re here. You’re not alone.”

Alina placed a gentle hand on Renna’s shoulder.

“We’ll stay with you,” she said quietly. “No matter what.”

Renna couldn’t bear it.

The loss of the boy she loved carved something deep within her. For days, she barely spoke. For weeks, the world felt empty.

But slowly—

With time—

She began to stand again.

Because of them.

Kate stayed close, never letting her be alone too long.

Alina remained steady, offering quiet strength when words weren’t enough.

And her family—

Her parents…

And her little sister, Cora—

Gave her a reason to keep going.

Little by little—

Renna smiled again.

Not the same as before.

But real.

For a while—

It felt like things might be okay.

Until—Two years later—Without warning—

Everything fell apart again.

Renna became ill.

No one understood why.

No doctor could explain it.

No medicine could cure it.

She grew weaker with each passing day.

The light that once returned to her—

Fading once more.

“…I think…”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

“…I’ll see him again.”

Kate shook his head quickly.

His voice carried fear he couldn’t hide.

“You’ll get better… you have to.”

Alina said nothing.

But her hand tightened slightly.

Renna lay there, her body fragile, her breathing shallow.

And yet— She smiled.

“…It’s okay…”

Her voice was soft.

“…I’m not alone.”

“…Thank you…”

And then—Silence.

At the age of eleven—

Renna passed away.

Kate and Alina witnessed everything.

The loss.

The helplessness.

The silence that came after.

The memory shattered.

Gone.

Leaving behind only echoes of laughter—

And a grief that never truly left them.

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