**A Promise Written on the Rusted Edge of Time by Dael Rowan Sire**
**Chapter 94**
Three days had passed since Ethan found himself standing alone in the bustling streets of New York, the city that had once felt so familiar, now seemed alien and cold.
As he approached his home, a flicker of light from the neighboring house caught his eye, drawing him in like a moth to a flame. The housekeeper, a familiar face who had often greeted him with a warm smile, delivered the news that struck him like a thunderbolt: the Collins family had sold all their properties, and new neighbors had moved in just two days prior.
The weight of this revelation settled heavily on Ethan’s chest. It was as if he had been holding onto a fragile thread of hope, and now it had snapped, leaving him with the stark realization that nothing would ever return to the way it once was.
That night, he found himself restless, tossing and turning in his room, the shadows of memories swirling around him like ghosts.
As dawn broke the next morning, he sat by his window, a silent observer of the new occupants as they dismantled the beloved garden swing set. The cheerful pink and white curtains that had once adorned the windows were replaced with somber dark green ones, and the shell wind chimes that had danced in the breeze, bringing a sense of peace, were unceremoniously discarded.
It felt as though everything connected to the Collins family, to Avery, was being erased from existence, leaving him feeling hollow and powerless.
In a desperate attempt to drown his sorrow, Ethan turned to alcohol, hoping to numb the relentless ache in his heart. But with each drink, he felt his emotions slip further away, like sand through his fingers.
Love, hate, pain, regret, joy, and hope—all of it faded into a distant memory, leaving behind an empty shell of who he once was.
His room became a chaotic collection of random objects he had salvaged from next door, each piece a fragment of a life that felt increasingly out of reach. It was during these scavenging missions that fleeting moments of clarity would wash over him, like a wave breaking on the shore.
Among the ruins of the Collins’ former home was a curious five-year-old who had taken it upon himself to follow Ethan around, eager to help with what he called a “treasure hunt.”
The once-grand tree in the yard had been felled, the vibrant rose garden uprooted, and the whimsical cartoon-painted rocks had been smashed to bits.
Every item they unearthed seemed to spark a memory within Ethan, a bittersweet reminder of the life he had shared with Avery.
The child, filled with innocent curiosity, peppered Ethan with questions about everything they stumbled upon. But Ethan could only stare blankly, words forming in his mind but dying on his lips, trapped in a web of grief.



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