Approaching

At that moment, a soft knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. To my surprise, the visitor was Ethan, and I felt a mix of shock and unease. As I opened the door, the man before me was no longer the precocious figure I remembered. Time had etched deep lines on his face, and the cost of the resurrection ritual had transformed him into a frail, elderly man of seventy. In that instant, my heart ached for him, filled with a profound sense of regret.

Ethan gave a faint smile, as if he could read my feelings. “I knew you wouldn’t be asleep yet, so I came over without asking,” he said, his voice hoarse but still carrying that characteristic calmness. Though time had stripped him of his youthful appearance, his keen insight into others remained unchanged.

“It's fine; you guessed correctly,” I replied, forcing a smile to suppress my unease. “I was just reviewing some documents and brainstorming our next steps.”

“Why don’t you let me lend you hand?” Ethan suggested casually. But I knew that h