Chapter 214: Echoes of the Heart and an Unlikely Reunion

Three weeks later, after asking Miranda for the location of Ethan’s grave, Eric went to visit his father’s final resting place. As it turned out, his father and grandfather were buried side by side, right next to his grandmother who lay beside his grandfather. Eric stood in front of the three graves, carrying his guitar and three bouquets of fresh flowers. He squatted down in front of the three headstones, set the flowers down, and began plucking away the wild grass and weeds that had started to grow and clutter the otherwise clean burial plots.

Once he finished, Eric placed a bouquet of flowers in front of each headstone, his grandfather’s, his grandmother’s, and his father’s. He then sat cross-legged on the grass in front of the three graves, gazing at the stone inscriptions. The cemetery was completely quiet and serene, without even a hint of a breeze blowing through, but Eric felt no fear or creeps at all.

On the contrary, he felt strangely at peace. Unzipping his guitar case, he pulled out his guitar, tuned the strings for a moment, and looked back up at the three headstones before him.

"Dad... Grandpa... Grandma... this is the last song I wrote. Please listen," Eric said with a warm smile.

Eric began to strum his guitar. A beautiful melody flowed out like water, echoing with a gentle loneliness across the quiet cemetery. Opening his mouth, Eric began to sing,

"There’s a room full of voices calling out my name, but somehow every word just sounds the same. I have a family waiting somewhere back home, yet every night I still feel alone."

Eric took a soft breath, pausing briefly in his singing while the music continued to flow melodiously, picking up speed.

"I learned to smile when no one asked me why, learned to hide the tears and let the silence lie. I thought I needed someone to take my hand, but maybe I was meant to learn to stand."

The music swelled, growing a bit louder yet remaining smooth and sweet. Eric stared at the three headstones with a faint smile as the song built into the pre-chorus,

"So I picked up a guitar, with an old and broken string, started playing in the dark, just to hear my own heart sing."

"Trang!"

After a brief pause, the guitar play shifted into a fast, soaring rock melody that remained smooth and soulful. Eric opened his mouth once more, launching into the chorus,

"I’m a one man band, Playing every part I can. Drums beneath my heartbeat, Six strings in my hands. I never found a place, Where I could finally belong, So I built one from the pieces. And turned my pain into a song."

"I’m a one man band, Still alone, but now I understand, Sometimes the road you never planned. Leads you exactly where you stand."

Eric kept playing, his eyes closed and his head bobbing back and forth to the rhythm. At the far edge of the cemetery, a groundskeeper leaned on his long shovel, watching from a distance and clearly enjoying the music. Eric kept singing and strumming, his playing reaching a crescendo that drew the attention of a few other visitors who happened to be nearby, all pausing to listen.

"Maybe home was never just a house. Maybe love was never meant to be enough. Maybe all the roads I walked alone. Were leading me to something of my own. And if tomorrow takes this stage away, I’ll still remember what the music gave. A thousand strangers, singing back to me. For once, I wasn’t lonely...I was finally free."

The guitar riffs thundered through the air, sweat glistening on Eric’s forehead as he remained completely lost in the melody. He sang the chorus one last time before pausing. Opening his eyes, he looked back at the three headstones in front of him,

"So let the curtains rise. Let the old guitar play. I may have walked here all alone...But I don’t feel alone today. I’m a one man band. And this is where I stand."

"Traaang!"

Eric hit a lightning-fast, precise solos with a high-pitched guitar pitch that sounded stunning without being harsh on the ears, bringing the song to a grand finish. He let go of the guitar strings, breathing heavily and catching his breath, but his face looked bright and a huge smile broke out across his lips. Suddenly,

"Clap... clap... clap."

Eric turned around and looked down the cemetery pathway. Standing at the end of the aisle were several groundskeepers, construction workers from nearby, cemetery visitors, and a few passersby who had stopped in their tracks, all clapping and applauding from afar.

"Oh man," Eric chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. He bowed his head politely to the unexpected crowd he never intended to gather.

Once he greeted the small crowd and the onlookers dispersed, Eric walked back over to the three graves and sat down on the grass, sliding his guitar back into its case. Just as he pulled the zipper shut, "vwooong," a floating holographic screen appeared right in front of his face.

[Quest completed.]

[Reward: One single conversation with your father. Would you like to use it now? [yes] [no].]

"Huh?"

Eric froze. He rubbed his eyes and blinked hard, reading the text on the floating screen over and over again. Silence descended upon the grounds once more, leaving Eric alone in front of the graves. He stared at the screen without moving, processing what he was looking at. But since curiosity always wins out over logic, Eric reached out and pressed YES.

A large holographic screen expanded in front of him, making him nearly jump out of his skin. Standing on the screen was a handsome man around 36 years old, looking remarkably like him with dark hair and a slender build, wearing a peaceful, warm smile. Eric instantly recognized the man in the video and tried his best to keep his cool,

"Hello Eric, how are you doing? Do you still remember me? We met back when you were in kindergarten," Ethan spoke from the screen.

"Um... hi Dad... this feels so surreal, talking to you when you’re supposed to be gone from this world," Eric said, his voice trembling slightly.

"Hahaha, yeah... you’re right. But thanks to the system passed down through our family generation after generation, we get to meet one last time. There’s so much I want to say to you, but looks like time won’t allow all of it," Ethan laughed softly.

Eric remained silent, staring intently at his father’s face on the screen in a mix of belief and utter shock. On screen, Ethan seemed to notice how overwhelmed Eric looked; he smiled and stepped back a bit to give him some breathing room.

"I heard your song, it was truly incredible and deeply moving. All of that came straight from inside you all this time, and you managed to express it through music," Ethan praised gently.

"Thank you, Dad... I remember meeting you when I was little, even if it’s a bit fuzzy... and you still look just like I remembered, even though I wasn’t entirely sure," Eric replied softly.

"Ah, it makes me so happy that you remember!" Ethan beamed.

From there, father and son caught up casually, sharing stories about their lives like two old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. But suddenly, Ethan’s expression turned serious,

"Eric... I’m so sorry. The truth is, I wanted to stay with you, but back then... it just wasn’t possible. The reason was because I started getting sick, and in the end, I passed away... that’s why I left you a system that would pass down my entire inheritance, something I couldn’t hand over to you directly, not even through a lawyer," Ethan explained solemnly.

"I see... so this system has been in our family for a long time?" Eric asked.

"That’s right. I don’t know how far back it goes, but ever since your grandfather’s time, this system existed. And this is the system I used to guide you, grant you what’s rightfully yours, and unlock your true potential," Ethan answered.

Eric paused for a moment, staring down at the guitar pick tattoo on his palm. Noticing where Eric was looking, Ethan smiled warmly again,

"I knew you loved music ever since you were little. You might not remember it, but you used to sing all the time whenever you were with me at school. That’s why this system was such a perfect fit for you," Ethan shared.

"You’re right, Dad... I didn’t even realize it myself... until I got kicked out of the house a year ago... thank you, Dad. But to be completely honest, I was actually angry at you for a long time for leaving me all alone. Though in the end, I finally realized you didn’t leave me because you wanted to, but because you had no choice," Eric confessed.

"Of course you felt like I abandoned you, and I don’t blame you at all, because the truth is I did leave you behind. That’s why I left so many things around you, so you would never feel truly alone," Ethan said gently.

"And right now... I’m not alone at all, Dad. Thank you," Eric said, looking at his father with a genuine smile.

Ethan smiled back at his son from inside the screen. But all of a sudden, Eric’s face turned dead serious, making Ethan flinch a little on the display.

"Wait... why on earth did you make me get engaged to six girls at the same time?" Eric asked with utmost seriousness.

"Ah... about that... um... well, here’s the thing. Back then, I watched your grandfather suffer after losing your grandmother... and I suffered terribly after being abandoned by my pregnant ex-fiancée and then lied to by your mother... I just didn’t want you to go through the exact same pain your grandfather and I had to endure... the unbearable loneliness. So I figured, if one betrays you or leaves you, you still have five left, hahah!" Ethan explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Hah... THAT was your reason? Man, Dad, do you have any idea how close I came to a heart attack when I found out there were six notarized engagement letters waiting for me? It gave me the worst headache!" Eric said, pointing a finger at his father’s face.

"I’m sorry... if my decision caused you trouble... but you’re happy now, right?" Ethan asked with a sly grin.

"Uh... yeah... I’m happy... actually, I’m really happy... so thanks, Dad," Eric replied, blushing scratching his cheek.

"That’s what I like to hear! I’m so glad you’re happy. Oh, by the way... happy 19th birthday!" Ethan offered with a warm laugh.

"Yeah. Thanks, Dad," Eric replied, still feeling a bit shy.

They continued chatting casually, completely unaware that a groundskeeper watching from afar saw Eric talking animatedly to the headstones as if someone were standing right there in front of him. The worker looked on with a deeply sympathetic face, as if thinking to himself, "Man, that kid really needs help."