The term was nearing its end, and Sam noticed how even Charles was now serious about studying. Life indeed had changed them all. As he looked around the room, searching for Bliss, he felt a chill down his spine—an eerie sense of unease he couldn't quite place. Bliss arrived moments later, playfully surprising him from behind, and they shared a comforting hug. For a while, everything felt normal. They studied together, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s presence. After school, they decided to grab coffee at a nearby café, marking their first real hangout in a while.

Later that evening, Sam went home and absently turned on the news. The headline blared, shaking him out of his relaxed state: “Mr. and Mrs. Hughhs accused of attempted murder of their only child, Janet Hughhs, after her testimony exposed their involvement in human trafficking and organ harvesting.” Sam felt a surge of panic. He rushed out, barely processing his actions, desperate to reach the hospital where Janet was.

At the hospital, he found her ward and, through the dim light, saw her frail figure lying on the bed, her face pale, her body visibly weakened. “Janet… what happened?” he whispered, horrified. It took a moment before she recognized him, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry, Sam,” she choked, her voice barely audible. She looked heartbreakingly vulnerable, her once lively eyes now sunken and pained.

“They tried to kill me for exposing them,” she admitted in a whisper. “I’m not even their real daughter. When I found out the truth, I… I couldn’t keep it inside anymore.” Her voice cracked, and she started coughing violently. Sam reached out, squeezing her hand, desperate to provide some comfort. “Everything will be fine,” he murmured, though he didn’t believe it himself.

“Sam,” Janet said, her breathing strained, “I don’t have much time. I’ve lost too much blood, and they… the internal bleeding is too much. I just wanted to say goodbye. Tell Julie…” She coughed again, each breath harder than the last. Her grip on Sam’s hand loosened as the heart monitor began to sound its relentless, shrill alarm.

“Doctor! Someone help!” Sam shouted, running out to grab a nurse. They rushed in, attempting CPR, but he could tell from their expressions that hope was slipping away. Bliss had arrived and found Sam outside the ward, frozen in place, staring at the floor, numb and empty. Tears streamed down his face, and he barely heard Bliss’s words as she tried to comfort him.

Finally, the doctor emerged, his face filled with regret. “I’m sorry, we did all we could,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of what he had to say. Sam pushed past him, stumbling into the room to see Janet one last time, her face peaceful, yet hauntingly still. His cries echoed down the hall as he held her cold hand, the life drained from her body. He barely noticed the flashing cameras outside or the barrage of questions from the media.

When Sam emerged, Charles and Julie were waiting, trying to process what had happened. Julie, fighting back tears, took Sam's hand. “She’s gone, Sam,” she whispered.

As they walked out, Charles pulled Sam back from a street crossing, his strong grip grounding him in reality. It was over—Janet was gone. Bliss and Julie both looked at him, and he finally allowed himself to feel the grief crashing over him, gripping onto them for support. They walked him home, surrounded by the friends who had become his family, all of them changed by what they'd witnessed that day.