Chapter: Box 43

The key rested in the nightstand drawer, just as Tom had written. Olivia held it between her fingers for a while, as if it weighed more than just metal. The walk to the old mailbox in the square was silent, full of questions and a tension that grew with every step.

When she arrived, Box 43 looked almost the same as always: rusty, with the number nearly faded. She inserted the key, turned it... and the door opened with a soft click.

Inside, a letter. And a small wooden box.

Tom had written her name on the envelope, once again. With trembling hands, she opened it.

"Oli,

If you've made it here, it means you followed the clues. That you chose to stay with me a little longer, even in my absence.

There's something I never told you. Not because I was afraid of you, but because I was afraid of losing what we had. But I don't want you to hold on only to the part of Tom you knew. You deserve to know everything.

Before you, there was a very dark time in my life. I'm not proud of it, but it was real. I was lost, drowning in places I thought I'd never escape. And that's where I met someone: his name was Elías. He pulled me out of a deep hole. He taught me to write when all I wanted was to disappear. I owe him more than you can imagine.

And I'm telling you this because that broken part of me was the one that learned how to love you well. If I hadn't hit rock bottom, I never would've understood your worth. He made me promise that if I ever found something real, I'd protect it as if it were the last thing I had.

And that was you. You are.

In the little box you'll find something from him. And one more note.

Thank you for still finding me.
– Tom"

Olivia carefully opened the small box. Inside was an old wooden pendant with a small inscription carved into it: "To never forget that you got out."

Next to it, a scrap of paper with different handwriting, probably Elías's:

"To whoever reads this: he loved you. Not everyone could heal the way Tom did. If you're reading this, it's because you were part of his light. Take care of it."

Olivia felt the world spin a little slower. Tom had lived more than he showed, more than he ever said... and now those unknown parts belonged to her too.

That night, she wrote another letter.