Jovan was still holding the letter in his stiff hand. The short sentence written inside made his thoughts even more chaotic.
"Stop searching before you lose someone you love."
The words felt like a threat.
He stared at Dimas, who was standing a few steps away.
"Do you know who sent this?"
Dimas didn't answer right away.
His face looked different from before. If he'd seemed calm earlier, now there was clear worry in his expression.
"Dimas."
"I have an idea who it might be."
"Who?"
Dimas sighed.
"But I can't be sure yet."
Jovan was starting to get annoyed.
"Why does everyone always say they can't be sure yet? I've found several letters, met you, gone into an empty house, and now someone's threatening me. I have the right to know what's really going on."
Dimas looked at Jovan.
"You're right. But there's something you need to understand first."
"What?"
"The person behind all of this has been planning it for a long time."
Jovan looked at the letter in his hand.
"For a long time?"
"Yeah. Even before you knew about the first letter."
Jovan fell silent.
His thoughts immediately turned to his mother.
If all of this really had been planned long ago, then it was possible his family already knew.
"I have to go home."
Dimas looked at him immediately.
"Why?"
"I want to ask my mom directly."
Dimas looked hesitant.
"Jovan, don't accuse your mom right away."
"I'm not going to accuse her. I just want answers."
Dimas nodded slowly.
"I'll come with you."
Jovan looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because if someone has started making a move, you can't be alone."
They finally walked away from the old house.
Jovan was mostly silent the entire way. His head was filled with questions.
When they arrived home, Jovan opened the door immediately.
"Mom!"
His mother, who was in the kitchen, turned around at once.
"You're home already?"
Jovan studied his mother's face for a few seconds.
There were so many things he wanted to ask, but seeing his mother's face made him lose some of his nerve.
"Why did you bring someone with you?"
His mother looked at Dimas, who was standing behind Jovan.
Her expression changed immediately.
"Dimas?"
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
Jovan noticed the change in his mother's expression.
"You two know each other?"
His mother didn't answer.
Dimas lowered his head.
"Hello, ma'am."
Jovan grew even more confused.
"So you really do know each other?"
His mother walked closer.
"Jovan, come inside first."
"No, Mom. I want to know now."
His mother fell silent.
"Have you found the letter?"
The question startled Jovan.
"You knew?"
His mother sat down slowly.
"I hoped you'd never find that letter."
Jovan felt his chest tighten.
"Why?"
His mother looked at him with sad eyes.
"Because that letter brought you back to a past that should have been over already."
"But that past is about me, right?"
His mother didn't answer.
And her silence was an answer in itself.
Jovan took a breath.
"Who wrote the letter, Mom?"
His mother looked at Dimas.
"Dimas, you brought him here?"
Dimas answered quietly.
"He's already found the second letter."
His mother immediately began to panic.
"The second letter?"
"Yeah."
His mother stood up.
"You have to stop searching, Jovan."
The sentence left Jovan silent.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Because I don't want to lose you."
"But I've already lost so much, Mom."
His mother looked at Jovan.
"What do you mean?"
"I lost the chance to find out who I really am."
The house became completely silent.
Dimas simply stood there, watching them.
A few moments later, his mother walked over to an old cabinet.
She opened the bottom section and took out a small object.
A key.
Jovan looked at it in confusion.
"What's that?"
His mother closed her hand around the key.
"The key to the last place holding all the answers."
Jovan stepped closer.
"What place?"
His mother looked at Jovan, her face full of hesitation.
"Your grandfather's old house."
Jovan fell silent.
"Grandfather?"
"Yeah."
"But you said Grandpa died a long time ago."
"I never said every story about your grandfather was over."
Jovan accepted the key.
"Why are you giving me this now?"
His mother slowly rubbed her face.
"Because I know you won't stop."
Jovan looked at the key in his hand.
"If I go there, will I find the truth?"
His mother was silent.
"Old wounds, family secrets, and the reason the letter was made."
The answer made Jovan even more certain.
That night, Jovan couldn't sleep.
He sat at his desk, looking at all the letters he'd collected.
One letter from in front of the house.
One letter from the old house.
And now a key leading to his family's past.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
A message came in from an unknown number.
Jovan opened it.
There was only one photo.
A photo of him at the old house with Dimas.
Jovan immediately stood up.
Someone was watching them.
Then a second message appeared.
"I already warned you."
Jovan stared at his phone screen.
A few seconds later, a third message came in.
"If you keep searching, you won't be the next person to find a letter."
Jovan froze.
Because beneath the message was a name.
The name of someone he knew very well.
His mother.