After returning from the island, nothing was ever the same.
Mason's case immediately made headlines. The media were obsessed with the story for weeks — the headlines screamed about the mysterious island, murders, demons, and alleged possession. When it was revealed that Mason had killed Daniel and Will, the public was stunned. During interrogations, he kept repeating the same sentence over and over: "It wasn't me. It was Elias. He was controlling me." The court declared him insane and ordered treatment in a high-security psychiatric hospital, with access restricted to a select few.
There, in a cold room without a mirror, Mason spent his days in silence. Occasionally, he'd wake up screaming, seeing his grandfather's shadow in the corner. Other times, he'd whisper under his breath — prayers no one had ever taught him. He claimed Elias hadn't disappeared, that he was still inside him, watching his every move. But most of the time, he just sat and stared at the wall, as if waiting for someone or something to appear.
Nancy visited him every day. She never stopped. Even when Mason went weeks without speaking, even when the doctors suggested she should focus on herself, she stayed by his side. She brought him tea, his favorite childhood books, photos from before the tragedy. She talked to him, told him what was happening in the world, how the seasons were changing. Occasionally, her voice broke when she saw the emptiness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Noah was there, too. He tried to start a new life, but the island had left a scar he couldn't ignore. He stayed in touch with Nancy, visited the hospital, sat quietly in the corner watching his brother — sometimes talking to him, other times just sitting in silence beside him. Mason was everything to him — the brother he wanted to save and a mirror reflecting what could have happened to any of them.
Betty completely disappeared from public life. After returning, she began intensive psychiatric therapy. The media, which had once glorified her fame and life, now attacked her for being part of "the greatest youth tragedy of the decade." She stopped posting online, avoided people — even family. She lived with her parents in a suburban house and recovered in silence. Occasionally, she called Nancy, but their conversations were never long. Whenever the island came up — she fell silent.
Ethan didn't escape the consequences. He officially admitted to helping Mason. He said he hadn't recognized the signs in time, that he ignored the warnings because he "wanted to help." The court was lenient — a suspended sentence — but it was enough. He lost everything: his reputation, friends, purpose. He left town and disappeared. Some said he was spotted in a provincial village, working at a small antique bookstore. Others claimed he returned to the island.
Jennifer and Jake went through the worst together. They survived and decided not to waste what they had left. They started spending more and more time together, slowly building a relationship that had once only been a possibility. Now, they were each other's safe haven. They shared memories, grief, and nighttime fears. One day, Jake asked if they could try being together — truly together, without the past, without masks. Jennifer said yes.
Olivia, once Mason's fiancée, cut herself off from everything. Her family insisted on a quick breakup and a name change in the media. She never visited Mason. Never wrote, never called. For her, the chapter was closed — permanently. She moved to New York, threw herself into work, trying to build a new life. But some claimed to have seen her in the park, watching children play, with a hollow look in her eyes.
The island? It was placed under strict protection. The government declared it a restricted area due to "environmental and historical hazards." Entry was forbidden, but locals say sounds can still be heard — whispers, screams, the beating of a heart beneath the ground.
Mason remained a shadow of whom he once was. But when Nancy sat beside him, when Noah touched his shoulder, sometimes — just for a moment — his eyes would change. As if for a second, the boy from before the tragedy returned.And maybe, just perhaps, one day… he'll find himself again.