The hallway was silent—too silent. Ethan’s boots stopped just inches from the door.

Rusted chains coiled across the frame like a warning. Dried blood—maybe human, maybe not—streaked downward in crooked smears.

He stared at it, not blinking. His chest tightened. Twenty years, and they’d never mentioned this door.

“Why?” he whispered.

The echo didn’t answer.

Behind him, someone shifted nervously. “Your father said... if you ever opened it, he’d end his own life.”

Ethan didn't move. The old wood looked like it might breathe.

A part of him wanted to walk away. Another part—the one they tried to exile—was already reaching for the chain.
********************

     Years ago, his family forced him into exile, giving no explanation—only urgency. And now, back in Virginia, after all this time, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from that door.
     His parents acted like nothing had changed. They still expected obedience. They wanted him to bend to their will, to get involved in power games between Mafia factions—just to protect their place in the hierarchy.
But Ethan wasn’t the same boy they sent away.
---

Will he defy his family to uncover the dark truth hidden behind that door?

Chapter 16 - Brave