Chapter 400 That Sealed-Off, Nightmare-Like Memory

Chapter 400 That Sealed-Off, Nightmare-Like Memory

James walked into the room, his gaze softening as he took in the two figures wrapped in each other's arms, tears streaming silently down their faces.

Mason rested quietly against Emily's chest. He turned his head toward the man standing by the door and blinked his tear-dampened eyes. His lips trembled slightly.

"Daddy."

That soft call shattered the tension James had been holding onto throughout the entire journey. The six-foot-tall man couldn't hold back his tears in front of his child.

He strode to the bedside and gently ruffled Mason's fine, soft hair, his voice breaking. "Daddy's here."

It had been so long since he'd heard Mason's voice. Hearing that hoarse, fragile call now felt like a lifetime ago.

Qiana and Faye witnessed this tender family reunion and couldn't help but feel moved to tears themselves.

Qiana wiped her damp eyes and gestured for Faye to follow her out, leaving the space for the family of four.

Briar blinked, glancing first at James, then at Emily. Her usually cheerful little face scrunched up slightly.

When she'd seen James come in, she'd wanted to rush over and ask for a hug. But seeing Mason's condition, Briar held herself back.

Mason's in really bad shape right now. He needs more attention than I do. I'm a very sensible big girl—I can't compete with Mason for attention at a time like this!

So Briar stood dutifully by the bedside, patting Mason's back soothingly, without pushing her way in.

After a while, Emily calmed down slightly. She released Mason and carefully examined his body, checking for any obvious external injuries. Seeing none, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mason, tell me—why can you suddenly speak again?"

Emily kept her eyes fixed on Mason's, her voice gentle.

According to Thora, Mason's inability to speak stemmed from an unresolved trauma deep in his heart. Only when that knot was untied would there be any chance of him regaining his voice.

But why had he suddenly recovered today? Had something happened?

The moment Emily finished speaking, Mason's body began to shake, terror flooding his face.

"Mason, don't think about it! If you can't remember, I won't ask anymore!!"

Mason's reaction terrified Emily. She quickly pulled him back into her arms, patting his spine gently to comfort him.

"Mommy..."

Mason curled up in Emily's embrace, the corners of his eyes red, his voice trembling and breaking. "Mommy, I... I saw it. Grandma killed someone."

James and Emily froze, instinctively exchanging a glance.

"Mason, tell me—when you say 'Grandma,' do you mean Xanthe?"

"...Yes."

Mason whimpered softly, his small body trembling in Emily's arms.

"That night, it was raining really, really hard, and there was thunder. I couldn't sleep, so I climbed out of bed and looked out the window. Then I saw..."

Mason seemed to recall something, and his small frame shook violently. Emily's heart ached as she held her child closer, murmuring soothing words.

"Mason, take your time. Don't be afraid—I'm right here. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to force yourself, okay?"

Mason clutched Emily's sleeve tightly, blinking through his tears as he whispered, "I... I saw Grandma arguing with someone in the courtyard in the rain. Then they started fighting. Grandma won, and the other person fell down and didn't get back up. After that, Grandma seemed to notice me. She looked right at me, and her expression was so scary..."

Mason couldn't go on. He buried his face in Emily's chest and sobbed quietly.

Emily patted Mason's shoulder tenderly. "Don't say any more. Don't even think about it. I'm right here with you. Just get some rest, okay?"

"Mommy, you won't leave me again, will you?"

"No."

"What if I fall asleep and get locked in the dark room again?"

"As long as I'm here, no one can lock you in that room."

"Mommy, will you stay with Mason forever? You really won't leave me again?"

"I won't. I promise you—from now on, you'll always be with Mommy. We'll never be apart again."

Mason felt so unsafe. Over and over, he asked Emily if she would abandon him again.

And Emily, with infinite patience, reassured him again and again that she would never leave him—that they would always be together.

Finally, under Emily's gentle coaxing, Mason fell into a deep sleep, tear tracks still staining his cheeks.

On the other side of the bed, James picked up Briar and carried her aside to speak quietly.

"Briar, tell me—what happened at home before we got back?"

Briar tilted her little head thoughtfully, then said, "Mason was scared of the thunder. He got frightened, and then his water cup broke. Mason curled up in the corner and screamed really loud and wouldn't let anyone come near him. So Great-Grandma called you guys."

Briar was still very young. Though she was smarter than most children her age, her language skills were still developing. She could only describe what she'd seen in simple, straightforward terms. Still, James understood.

Mason had grown up by his side. He'd never shown any fear of thunder before.

For him to be frightened by it this time... it must have been because the combination of thunder, rainstorm, nighttime, and being scared by Xanthe's look earlier that day had triggered something. These key elements, linked together, had unlocked the sealed memories Mason had buried away, causing his emotional breakdown.

So three years ago, Mason had witnessed Xanthe killing someone in the courtyard during a thunderstorm in the dead of night. That's why Xanthe had held a grudge against him. And Indigo was clearly in league with Xanthe, which explained why she'd helped punish Mason by locking him in that dark room—until Mason, traumatized, lost those memories and stopped speaking altogether. Only then had those two cruel people temporarily left him alone.

If Mason hadn't lost those memories back then... James couldn't bear to imagine what those two vicious lunatics might have done to torture his son.

Just thinking about Mason suffering at the hands of those monsters while he remained oblivious made James shake with rage.

"Daddy, are you angry?"

Briar looked up at James's increasingly hard expression, her voice small.

James looked into Briar's clear, innocent eyes. The murderous edge on his face softened slightly, and his large hand ruffled her little head affectionately.

"I'm not angry at you."

"Then are you angry at the bad people who hurt Mason?"

"Yes."

"I'm angry too."

Briar puffed up her cheeks and planted her little hands on her hips indignantly. "Daddy, you and Mommy have to catch the bad people and get justice for Mason!"

"Don't worry. Mommy and I will definitely catch them."

James spoke softly, though a flash of cold, deadly light flickered through his deep-set eyes.