This first snowfall, she resolved to be bold just once. Together with him, they would form a family, one that would last through the ages.

That evening, to celebrate, they opted for a town trip to savor a steaming hot pot meal.

Under the warm glow of the restaurant lights, Nicole's face radiated warmth.

Roscoe lovingly prepared many of her favorite dishes and carefully placed them in her bowl.

They picked a table at the back of the restaurant. Halfway through their meal, Nicole excused herself and headed to the restroom.

Out of the blue, she collided with a man, causing a lighter to tumble from the man's pocket.

Swiftly, she offered an apology and bent down to retrieve the lighter.

However, the inscription on it sent a shiver down her spine.

The lighter bore two words. "Ardlens Club."

Suddenly, the memory pulled Nicole away from the serene mountain village to the realm of countless nightmares.

Nicole's entire body shook as the lighter slipped from her hand and fell to the ground, making a clicking sound.

“Miss, are you alright?" the man she had accidentally run into asked.

Overcome with fear of seeing someone she knew, Nicole looked up and saw an unfamiliar, ordinary face. Relieved, she didn't recognize him.

Even though she didn't recognize him, she quickly bowed her head, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll pay for the lighter," Roscoe came over and negotiated with the man.

The man waved it off with a smile. "No worries. It's just a lighter. It's broken now, but it wasn't worth much."

With that, the man walked away.

“Nicole, what's going on?" Roscoe put his arm around her shoulder. He had already disposed of the lighter in a trash can, unaware of the description.

Nicole glanced out the window just in time to see the man driving off in a car with a local license plate. She managed to calm herself, telling herself that this person Likely wasn't from Ardlens. Perhaps the lighter was merely something he had found or had brought with him from Ardlens.

Noticing her distress, Roscoe asked, “Are you feeling okay? Should we head home?"