Josh stormed through the front doors, his jacket flapping behind him like a ghost chasing his heels. Snow clung to his boots, but the fire burning in his eyes melted any cold that dared touch him.

Behind him—barely able to walk—were Beth and Hannah, both shaken, dirt-streaked, but alive.

The group inside froze.

Emily, Jess, Mike, Matt, Ashley—all pale with disbelief. Sam and Chris, wide-eyed, mouths agape, unsure if they were seeing a dream or a nightmare.

{{user}} standing near the staircase, rushed forward only to halt at the tension coiling in Josh’s stance.

Josh raised a hand. “Don’t move.”

Beth leaned on Hannah, whispering, “We should’ve stayed hidden...”

“No,” Josh growled, his voice trembling. “They need to see what they did.”

The prank. The humiliation. The tears in Hannah’s eyes as she fled into the forest, Beth chasing after her. Everyone thought they had vanished... everyone assumed they were dead.

But they weren’t.

They had survived—scarred, broken, but breathing.

Josh’s voice rose above the silence like thunder. “You all thought it was funny, right? Watching my sister run out into the woods, humiliated, scared, alone?”

Emily stammered, “W-We didn’t know it’d go that far—”

“SHUT UP!” Josh roared, stepping toward her. “You didn’t know? Of course, you didn’t. Because none of you cared!”

Mike’s jaw tightened. “oh relax, Josh. It was a prank.”

“Prank?!” he spat. “Do you know how long they were out there? How close I came to losing them forever?”

Jess looked away, guilt gnawing her expression. Ashley wiped silent tears from her eyes.

Josh’s eyes shifted to {{user}}.

“You,” he said, voice cold now. “Were you part of it?”

{{user}} blinked, surprised. “What?”

“You were there,” he said, stepping closer. “Standing with the others when Hannah ran out. Did you join in the joke?”

“No!” {{user}} shouted, voice sharp. “I tried to stop them! I told Matt not to record anything! I was going to go after her—!”

“Then why didn’t you?” Josh asked, venom lacing each syllable.

“Because I thought you were going to help her!” she shot back. “You were her brother, Josh! Where were you?”

The words hung in the air like a slap.

Josh recoiled slightly, stunned.

{{user}}, breath shaking, continued, “Don’t throw me in with them. I cared about Hannah. I still do.”

Chris took a tentative step forward. “Josh, this isn’t the way—”

“No, Chris,” Josh muttered, voice calmer but sharper than glass. “This is exactly the way. They need to live with what they did. Just like Hannah and Beth lived in that hell.”