Noah sat in his room, the walls closing in on him as his mind replayed the chaos of the night. The weight of what had happened pressed heavily on his chest.

His return home after the violence at Sydney's party had not gone as he had hoped. He had spent hours in tense discussion with Shawn, debating their next moves and piecing together the horror that had unfolded.

He told Shawn, that he would return home, but Shawn was against it. After some back and forth, Shawn finally relented...

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*Flashback*

After returning home, when he finally broke the news to his parents, it had been a scene of devastation.

"N-, Noah..."

"..."

Avanta, his mother, had crumpled at the revelation, her anguished cries a stark contrast to the cold silence of Gary, his father.

Noah's hands trembled as he stood in the dimly lit living room, the weight of his actions crushing him from within. He had barely managed to escape the chaos at the restaurant with Shawn, but now, standing in front of his father, he was forced to confront the consequences of what he had done.

His heart pounded in his chest as he began to speak, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I didn't mean for it to happen... I didn't mean to kill him," Noah stammered, the reality of the situation sinking in with each word. "It was an accident, Dad. I swear..."

Gary's stern face remained impassive, his usual stern demeanor slipping only slightly. As the gravity of the situation sank in, Gary took a deep breath, jaw clenched as he listened. Avanta, stood nearby, her eyes wide with fear and concern for her son. She instinctively reached out to comfort Noah, but Gary's harsh tone stopped her.

"Ava," Gary ordered without even looking at her, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, "go inside."

"B-, But, Noah.." Avanta hesitated, her tears flowing freely and her eyes flickering between her husband and her son, but eventually, she obeyed, retreating to the bedroom with one last worried glance at Noah.

- Click!

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Noah alone with his father...

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- Silence...

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The silence that followed was thick with tension. Gary's eyes, usually sharp and unyielding, now held a deep, unreadable sorrow.

"...."

After what felt like an eternity, he approached Noah, his steps slow and deliberate, a cold fury simmering beneath his calm exterior.

"Dad, I didn't mean-" Noah began, but Gary's next action silenced him...

- BAMM!!

"Argkh!"

Without a word, Gary had lashed out, his fist connecting with Noah's face with a force that sent him crashing to the floor. The impact was both physical and emotional, the pain a sharp reminder of the consequences of the night's events.

"You told me you would be home before nightfall," Gary had said, his voice a low, bitter growl. "You lied to me, Noah. I told you, you need to be careful in a city like Chicago..." He said bitterly showing a pained expression, "But you went and killed someone. And now look at what happened."

Gary's voice, though devoid of anger, was laden with a deep, sorrowful disappointment.

"Noah, what have you done?..." Gary's voice cracked, his facade finally beginning to crumble. He slumped into the sofa, burying his face in his hands. "What have you done, Noah ..." he repeated, his voice now just a whisper, filled with despair.

Noah just silently sat there, a look of despair in his eyes, devoid and any emotions. His heart twisted painfully in his chest. Seeing his father, a man who had always been so strong, so unyielding, reduced to this state was almost unbearable. He wanted to say something, anything, to make it right, but the words wouldn't come. The silence between them was suffocating...

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After a prolonged moment of silence, "Go to your room," Gary looked up, his eyes dark with a mix of anger and sorrow. "I'm calling the police," Gary had said firmly, turning his back on his son, his posture rigid with the burden of the night's revelations.

Noah's breath caught in his throat, his entire world, shattering with those words. He stood up and stumbled up the stairs, his mind a maelstrom of guilt and fear. The pain from Gary's punch was a dull throb, but it was nothing compared to the anguish gnawing at his insides...

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*Flashback ends*

Noah sat on the edge of his bed, his room dimly lit by the weak glow of the streetlight filtering through the curtains. The walls seemed to close in on him, the silence weighing heavily on his chest. His mind was a chaotic storm of guilt, fear, and self-reproach. Every second replayed the events of the night, each moment gnawing at his conscience.

'I should've listened to Shawn...' he thought bitterly. 'Why did I come back?'

His eyes were hollow, staring at the floor but seeing nothing. His father's words echoed in his mind, intertwining with the memories of Gary's cold gaze and Avanta's tear-streaked face. The punch still resonated on his jaw, not just in pain but as a mark of his failure—a reminder of how badly he had screwed up.

'I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't mean to kill him…'

The words felt empty, hollow. No matter how many times he repeated them to himself, they did nothing to ease the crushing weight of what he had done. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white with the pressure. 'What if the cops come? What if they find me? What if…'

- Buzzzz!... Buzzzz!...

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the buzzing of his phone. He flinched at the sudden noise, his heart leaping into his throat. For a moment, he hesitated, staring at the screen as Shawn's name flashed.

Noah swallowed hard and answered, trying to steady his voice. "Shawn..."

The sound of Shawn's voice, usually steady and calm, was now choked with sobs.

< Noah… Noah, you need to listen to me… >

Shawn's words were fractured, punctuated by his ragged breaths. < It's Robert… he's… he's killed Sydney and her family. > ...Noah's heart stopped.

< And my family… my little sister and my parents… they're all dead. I—I'm on the run. You have to get out of there. Take your family and run! They'll come for you too… >

Panic surged through Noah as the phone started to loosen from his grip, his mind racing with the implications of Shawn's words.

Despair and disbelief.

Noah's hand trembled as he held the phone. "What do you mean?!! What's going on?!! Shawn!!"

Before Shawn could respond,

- Bang!!

There was a sudden, loud bang on his end of the line. The unmistakable sound of a gunshot.

The call cut off.

Noah's breath caught in his throat as panic surged through Noah, his heart pounding so violently he thought it might burst out of his chest.

"Shawn?..." he first called Shawn's name quietly, trying to force his stopped heart to beat, to have some hope somehow... But, "...Shawn!" he shouted into the phone, but the line was dead. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead, his mind racing with horrifying possibilities.

'What just happened?'

- Click*, Click!, Click-...

Before he could fully process it, a strange clicking noise reached his ears. Noah froze, his breath caught in his throat.

Slowly, he moved towards the window, dread curling in the pit of his stomach. He pulled back the curtain just enough to peer outside, and his blood ran cold...

At first, only shadows- until he adjusted the angle, and then... his blood ran cold. Outside, more than a dozen men stood in the street, their dark silhouettes illuminated by the streetlights. They were all armed, aiming their machine guns directly at his house.

Noah's heart skipped a beat, and in that split second of realization, he felt the full weight of the danger bearing down on him.

"Fuck—!!"

- DADADADADADADADADA!!!

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