Stories Hidden in Shadows By Julian Blake 26

Stories Hidden in Shadows By Julian Blake 26 Summary

 

Nicholas arrives in Switzerland amid the first snowfall of the season, feeling the cold both outside and within himself. This is his third and final visit to the country, as he plans to collect Elara’s ashes and leave forever, unable to bear the thought of returning again. The biting wind and silent snow mirror his inner emptiness and grief, making each step painful and heavy.

 

At the airport, Nicholas hails a taxi to the euthanasia center, prompting a concerned reaction from the driver who questions why someone so young would come to such a place. Nicholas remains silent, unable to explain his feelings or situation. Upon arrival, he struggles physically and emotionally, nearly collapsing in the sterile lobby, where a staff member quickly assists him.

 

When asked if he has an appointment, Nicholas reveals he is there for his wife, Elara, showing her a photo and their marriage certificate to prove his identity. The staff member informs him that Elara passed away on Christmas Day, having arrived alone that morning. This revelation stabs at Nicholas’s heart, and he is unable to answer why he wasn’t with her in her final moments, choosing instead to remain silent.

 

Guided to the sixteenth floor, Nicholas sits exhausted, lost in thought about Elara’s spirit and what she might feel toward him now. Despite their marriage never being dissolved, she is gone, and Nicholas is left branded as a widower—a painful reminder that he must never forget her absence or the finality of her death.

 

Continue Regular Chapter Reading Below

Chapter 16

Switzerland’s first snowfall of the season didn’t arrive until early January, blanketing the landscape in a pristine sheet of white. Nicholas stepped out of the airport into the biting cold, his gaze fixed on the endless expanse of snow covering everything in sight. He lingered there for a long moment, absorbing the quiet stillness that seemed to swallow the world whole.

This was his third visit to this country.

And it would be his last.

Once he had Elara’s ashes in his possession, he planned to leave immediately, never to return. The thought of setting foot here again was unbearable.

The icy wind bit at his skin as he stood rooted to the spot, the chill seeping through his coat. Time felt suspended, dragging on endlessly until he finally forced himself to move forward. He raised his hand and hailed a taxi.

The driver, a middle-aged man with a kindly face, glanced back when Nicholas gave the destination. For a brief second, his eyes widened in surprise.

“That’s… the euthanasia center, right? Are you sure about this? You’re so young. Why would you want to—”

Nicholas’s throat tightened, but no words came. He understood the man’s concern, but he had nothing left to explain. Instead, he looked down, feigning ignorance.

The driver studied him through the rearview mirror, sighed deeply, and then shifted the car into gear.

Slowly, the distance on the GPS ticked down, but Nicholas felt the weight in his chest grow heavier, as if someone were squeezing a sponge relentlessly, twisting and crushing it until it disintegrated into dust, scattering across the floor.

Inside him, it was snowing too—cold, empty, and hollow.

When the taxi finally stopped, Nicholas handed over a thick wad of bills, dismissing the change with a wave. He pushed open the door and stepped out into the sterile air.

A staff member approached almost immediately, her voice gentle but professional. “Do you have an appointment?”

Nicholas glanced around the bright, clinical lobby, his eyes catching the pamphlets and posters lining the walls. Suddenly, the room began to spin, and his legs faltered.

He swayed dangerously.

The woman caught him just before he collapsed. “Sir? Are you alright? Do you need help?”

He bent over, struggling to catch his breath, his hands trembling as he searched his pocket for something. At last, he found a piece of candy—a small, forgotten gift from a flight attendant who had slipped it into his jacket after he fainted at the airport. She had told him he needed to eat something.

But he couldn’t. Nothing stayed down. Every taste was bitter, like decay on his tongue.

After a few moments, the darkness at the edges of his vision began to fade. His voice emerged, rough and broken.

“I’m here for someone. My wife.”

With shaking fingers, he pulled out his phone and showed her a photo.

The girl in the picture smiled softly, her eyes locked on the camera.

The staff member stared at the image for a long moment before recognition dawned. It was the young woman who had arrived here on Christmas Day.

Her face shifted through a mix of understanding and confusion.

“Your wife? But… I’m fairly certain she marked ‘single’ on her intake form. Are you sure?”

Nicholas said nothing. Instead, he reached into his bag and produced their marriage certificate.

She examined it carefully, scanning the document with a thoroughness that seemed to stretch on forever before finally confirming his identity.

Gently, she helped him to his feet—he was barely able to stand—and began guiding him toward the stairs, her voice soft but inquisitive.

“Just so you know… your wife passed away on Christmas Day. She came in alone that morning. Why weren’t you with her?”

The question pierced him like a blade twisting in a barely healed wound.

Nicholas found himself unable to answer.

Should he confess the truth—that he, her husband, had been completely unaware?

Or should he lie once more, here in the very place where Elara had taken her last breath?

He couldn’t bring himself to do either.

So he remained silent.

The woman seemed to understand, offering no further pressure.

When they reached the sixteenth floor, she helped him settle onto a couch before disappearing into the records room.

Nicholas tilted his head back, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the ceiling, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.

He didn’t know if souls lingered after death.

If Elara’s spirit was still here somewhere, watching him now, what would she think?

Would she mock him? Laugh bitterly? Remain silent? Harbor resentment?

Probably all of those feelings at once.

After all, until the moment she died, their marriage had never been dissolved.

He was the last tie she had left to this world.

Elara had branded him with the title of widower—so he would never forget.

Never forget that she was gone.

Conclusion

 

The cold silence of the euthanasia center mirrored the emptiness Nicholas felt deep within his soul, a void carved by grief and regret. As he sat there, grappling with the weight of Elara’s absence and the harsh reality of her final moments without him, the fragile threads of their shared past seemed to unravel. Yet, in this painful stillness, there was also a quiet acknowledgment of love’s enduring imprint—one that death could not erase, no matter how distant or silent it became.

 

Though the snow outside continued to fall, blanketing the world in white, inside Nicholas, the storm of emotions remained unresolved, tangled between sorrow and remembrance. He was left with the haunting question of what Elara might have felt, and a solemn vow etched into his heart: to carry her memory forward, bearing the bittersweet truth of their bond, now forever marked by loss and the shadows it cast.

 

What to Expect in Next Chapter?

 

The next chapter promises to delve deeper into Nicholas’s turbulent journey through grief and unresolved guilt. As he confronts the stark reality of Elara’s final moments without him by her side, the emotional weight he carries threatens to overwhelm him. Readers can expect an intimate exploration of his inner turmoil, as well as the fragile threads connecting him to the memories of their life together.

 

Tensions are likely to rise as Nicholas grapples with the silence he chooses to maintain, and the questions that remain unanswered. The story may reveal more about Elara’s state of mind in her last days, and how Nicholas’s absence shaped the course of their tragic farewell. The quiet, snow-covered landscape of Switzerland will continue to mirror the cold emptiness within him, setting the stage for a poignant and possibly painful reckoning.