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Ethan's voice was deep and slow, like a gentle breeze softly drifting through the room, filled with regret and an indescribable heaviness. "I'm sorry, Sofia... this is all my fault." His voice sounded as if it came from a distant place, carrying an unusual calmness. "But now... I've resolved it. It won't happen again."
When Sofia heard these words, her heart jolted, a strange unease creeping in. Ethan's tone, though filled with remorse, carried an unfamiliar aura, a darkness she couldn't quite articulate. The old Ethan would never speak this way; everything sounded too calm, as if he were describing a trivial matter rather than recounting months of nightmares.
"What do you mean... resolved?" A wave of inexplicable confusion and fear surged within Sofia, but she dared not reveal it, fearing it would shatter this fleeting tranquility. Her hand trembled slightly as it rested gently on Ethan's shoulder, yet deep inside her, anxiety began to take root.
Ethan remained turned away from Sofia, not looking back. His gaze was fixed on the heavy clouds outside the window; the sky was overcast and thick with clouds, as if a storm were imminent. "Tear off my bandages..." Ethan suddenly spoke again, his voice still calm but laced with an undeniable firmness. "I want to see... what I look like now."
This request made Sofia's body involuntarily freeze. Ethan's demand intensified her unease; the strange atmosphere thickened around them. Despite her heart being filled with doubt and fear, she found herself unable to refuse him—this was Ethan; his voice and tone were still those of the person she knew, even if his presence felt eerily different.
Sofia nodded gently; although Ethan couldn't see her, she gathered her courage and slowly stood up, moving around to face him. Her eyes were fixed intently on his bandaged face, her heart racing as beads of cold sweat formed in her palms. Each step felt incredibly difficult, as if some invisible force were holding her back.
Finally, Sofia stood before Ethan, taking a deep breath to force herself to remain calm. She looked at his face wrapped in thick bandages; the layers seemed like some kind of seal locking away a truth she couldn't comprehend.
She reached out her hands, trembling slightly as her fingertips brushed against the edge of the bandage. The cold fabric felt fragile in her grasp, as if it might shatter at any moment. Ethan's breathing was steady and silent, which only added to Sofia's mounting pressure. Her fingers rested on the bandage as she inhaled deeply, preparing to tear away that mysterious veil.
As Sofia's fingers lightly touched the bandage on Ethan's face, at first she felt only the rough texture of the fabric. But as she gradually applied more pressure to rip it away, she suddenly discovered something horrifying—she couldn't feel Ethan's face beneath it.
Instead of the expected soft skin, there was an unusually thick and hard sensation beneath the bandage. Sofia's fingertips glided over that icy surface; it felt nothing like human skin—colder than ice itself, devoid of any normal body heat. Her heart constricted sharply as if something had gripped it tightly, fear rising from deep within.
This couldn't be Ethan's face... this shouldn't be his face.
She struggled to maintain her composure, forcing down her growing unease but unable to ignore that eerie chill. "Ethan?" Sofia whispered softly, her voice filled with confusion and a hint of unarticulated fear. "Are you okay?"
Ethan did not directly answer her question. His body remained motionless, leaning against the gloomy sky outside, the gray light enveloping his silhouette. After a moment, his voice emerged from deep within his throat, firm and cold, "I've never been better."
His tone carried not only confidence but also an inexplicable strength that made Sofia increasingly uneasy. This was not the Ethan she knew; this aura felt foreign and distant. It was as if the man before her was no longer the one she had once loved, but rather a being reborn from chaos.
"It's like... starting anew from a state of confusion," Ethan slowly added, his voice deep and powerful, as if declaring a brand new beginning. There was an undeniable resolve in his words, as if he had completely bid farewell to his past self.
Sofia's hand still rested gently on the gauze, her heartbeat quickening. With each of Ethan's words, she felt herself sinking deeper into an uncontrollable fear. She wanted to withdraw her hand but was held back by an invisible force.
Suddenly, Ethan's hands quietly lifted and gently covered Sofia's hand. Those hands were cold, carrying an unusual stiffness as if they did not belong to a living person. The fear within Sofia surged instantly, as if something were pressing down on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.
"Sofia, don't be afraid..." Ethan's voice was low and soothing yet carried an irresistible power. "I am truly... fine now."
Under Ethan's deep and encouraging voice, Sofia felt her inner fear gradually replaced by a strong desire. Her hands remained on the thick gauze, and guided by Ethan's words, her fingers began to move. Sofia cautiously pinched the edge of the gauze and started tearing it away in circles.
The gauze wrapped tightly around Ethan's face; with each layer she tore away, it became thinner, and Sofia's heartbeat grew more excited. The cold, stiff sensation still unsettled her, but at the same time, a powerful longing surged within her—she wanted to see Ethan's face. Even if it was marred with scars and traces of pain, she feared nothing. She would accept him in any form as long as Ethan could return to her side.
The gauze fell away in circles like gradually unveiling a deeply hidden secret. With each layer torn off, Sofia's emotions intensified as if she were getting closer to the truth. Her movements became less cautious; her fingers unconsciously quickened their pace. Her breathing grew rapid, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as if this soon-to-be-revealed face held the answers she had long awaited.
Ethan... I am finally going to see you.
She silently chanted in her heart, imagining that once-familiar face. Even if it was now covered in scars, it would still be the face she loved. This yearning filled her soul, compelling her hands to continue; her fingertips tore at the gauze faster and faster.
Finally, only a thin layer of gauze remained. That layer lightly covered Ethan's face like a delicate veil, blocking the last barrier of truth. Sofia's fingers trembled as she sensed the significance and mystery of this moment. Her heart raced so fast that it felt like the entire world held its breath between this final layer.
As long as she peeled back this layer, she would be able to see Ethan's face again—no matter how it had changed, no matter if it resembled the one in her memories.
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