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Epilogue: Shadows of the Past

Months had passed since Detective Mark Halloway and Victoria Gray had left the cursed island behind. The island was no longer spoken of, its dark history buried beneath layers of official reports and quiet dismissals. The case had been officially closed, the tragedy explained away as a shipwreck, and the deaths attributed to the harsh realities of survival. But for those who had lived through it, the experience could never be so neatly boxed up.

Halloway had returned to his usual routine, solving cases that now seemed mundane by comparison. Yet, no matter how many files he closed, the island and its mysteries lingered in his thoughts. There were still nights when he awoke in a cold sweat, the memory of those blue flames seared into his mind, the chant echoing in his ears.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across his small office, Halloway found himself staring at the notebook Victoria had left with him. It sat on his desk, untouched since their return, its pages filled with Paul Henderson’s meticulous notes and desperate scribbles. Halloway had promised himself he would leave it alone, but the pull of unfinished business was too strong.

He opened the notebook, his eyes scanning the familiar handwriting. Among the detailed accounts of the island’s history and the rituals performed there, one phrase stood out, circled repeatedly: The watchers will return.

A chill ran down Halloway’s spine as he read the words again. The ritual had been meant to seal the watchers, to prevent them from escaping the island’s boundaries. But had they truly succeeded? Or had they merely delayed the inevitable?

A knock on the door broke his concentration. He looked up to see Victoria standing in the doorway, her expression somber.

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“You still thinking about it, aren’t you?” she asked, stepping into the room.

Halloway nodded. “It’s hard not to. There are too many unanswered questions. I keep wondering if we did the right thing.”

Victoria walked over and sat down across from him, her eyes reflecting the same haunted look he knew he wore. “I’ve been having dreams,” she admitted. “About the island. About the watchers. I think they’re still out there, Mark. I think they’re waiting.”

Halloway leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. He had tried to dismiss his own nightmares as remnants of trauma, but hearing Victoria’s words made it clear that the island’s influence had not been entirely eradicated.

“What do we do?” Victoria asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Halloway sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders once more. “We stay vigilant,” he said. “We keep our eyes open and our ears to the ground. And if there’s ever a sign that the watchers are stirring again, we’ll be ready.”

Victoria nodded, her resolve hardening. “We can’t let anyone else suffer because of that place.”

“No,” Halloway agreed. “We can’t.”

As Victoria left the office, Halloway returned his gaze to the notebook. He knew that their ordeal was not truly over. The island’s curse may have been contained for now, but its shadows still loomed large over their lives.

Halloway closed the notebook and placed it in a drawer, locking it away. He knew he couldn’t forget what had happened, but he could try to move forward. Yet, deep down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the island’s story wasn’t finished. It was a story that would never truly end, not as long as the watchers remained a threat.

The detective took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever might come next. For now, the world was safe, but he would be ready—always watching, always waiting.

Because some mysteries, Halloway knew, were never really solved. They were simply postponed, lying in wait for the right moment to rise again.

And when that moment came, he would be there.

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