Salem has never been an easy place to live, but for Thomas, these days felt like an inescapable nightmare.

News of Chad’s uncertain fate caused Thomas to gradually slip from his balance, step by step, with no one able to stop him.

Initially, Thomas tried to appear strong.

He believed Chad would be alright, that everything was just a misunderstanding or a delay.

But as each day passed without news, that belief began to crumble. Thomas couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat normally, and almost completely isolated himself from the world around him.

Memories of Chad kept flooding back. Unfinished conversations, unspoken words, unfulfilled promises. Thomas began to blame himself for everything: for not being there for Chad sooner, for not recognizing the signs of danger, for thinking that Salem wouldn’t devour those he loved.

The crisis reached its peak when Thomas wandered alone in the night, atop an old building, looking down at the sleeping Salem. To him, the city was no longer familiar, but a labyrinth of pain. Those around him tried to pull Thomas back, but every word of comfort was meaningless.

What terrified the audience most was Thomas’s eyes at this moment: empty, weary, and filled with despair. This was no longer ordinary sadness, but a sign of a true mental breakdown. Thomas was teetering on the dangerous line between continuing to fight and giving up completely.