The Secret Beneath

the world continued its daily bustle with cars beeping and pedestrians flowing together like waves in a concrete sea. Inside, Ethan was far away, immersed in thoughts that app

d friend who could cheer up Ethan from his bad moods with a joke or a pat on the back. Today, however, Ethan's brooding presence seemed to overshadow Mark's light-heartedness. Ethan put the letter back in his pocket and smiled artificially. "Yes, just... pondering." Mark raised one eyebrow before taking a seat without needing to be asked. "Are you contemplating?" That is never a positive outcome. You have been sitting here for hours, dude. What is happening? Ethan let out a breath, keeping his hand on his coat pocket. "It is Ava." Or, more specifically, this letter she left before departing. I've been holding onto it, pondering its contents and debating if I'm prepared to listen to whatever message she wanted to convey. Mark's usual happy attitude faded, replaced by real worry, as his face became more gentle. "You've been tormenting yourself about this for months." Perhaps it's time to quickly remove the Band-Aid, what do you think? No matter what it states, you will at least have a few responses. Residing in a state of uncertainty is only exacerbating the situation. Ethan was aware that Mark was correct. For the past six months, he had been tormented by various possibilities, hypothetical situations, and the lingering absence of Ava. However, his fingers hesitated to rip open the envelope due to the anxiety about possible answers. He nodded slowly, mainly to satisfy Mark rather than because he truly believed it. It is possible. Perhaps in the near future.