CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE: GOODBYE

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the room, Anna sat alone in her small, dimly lit apartment. The silence was deafening, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall. She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare, unable to escape the suffocating darkness that seemed to press in on her from all sides. But then, there was a knock at the door – a soft, hesitant rap that echoed through the stillness like a distant echo. Anna froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the door, uncertain whether to answer or to remain hidden in the safety of her solitude. But something compelled her to move, to rise from her chair and cross the room with slow, deliberate steps. With trembling hands, she reached out and turned the handle, her breath catching in her throat as she swung the door open to reveal the figures standing on the other side – Jonathan and Oliver, their faces etched with concern and uncertainty. For a moment, they stood there