394 CAUGHT UNNOTICED

The air was thick with the musty smell of old carpet and disinfectant as Lucas tiptoed down the sterile hotel hallway. Each creak of his shoes on the worn linoleum seemed to reverberate, echoing the thumping of his heart. He tightly gripped the crumpled address, a lifeline amidst his swirling doubts. Nicholas. The name churned a mix of emotions within him. Years of pent-up resentment had driven Lucas to this point, to this bland hotel room. He wasn't sure what he hoped to achieve or what answers he sought, but the need for confrontation gnawed at him like an open wound. Bracing himself, Lucas raised his fist to knock. The sound of his knuckles against the cool wood echoed in the silence. No response. He knocked again, harder. Still nothing. A flicker of unease crept over him. He tried the doorknob. It turned easily, revealing a room cloaked in an eerie twilight. The curtains were drawn shut, casting elongated shadows across the plush furniture. "Nicholas?" Lucas called out, his voi