Two weeks later, life in Oakhaven returned to normal. The police ruled the Clock Tower incident a gas leak and the Society members, having fled the scene, dispersed into hiding, their organization shattered.
Mara had a newly refurbished bookstore, paid for by a mysterious anonymous donation (Caleb’s idea). Sal was back at the docks, fielding calls from clients who heard about the Finder who saved the city.
Caleb stood in the museum gift shop once more. The museum hadn't reopened yet. He was there to return the diary and the photograph. He placed them back in the display case. The city was safe because of the legacy the Vances protected.
As he turned to leave, he felt a familiar, cold weight in his pocket. He pulled it out: the gray, sparkling stone his "father" Jarek had given him back in the SIlos—that reality's version of the Stone. It wasn't the nexus seal, but it still hummed with potential.
He realized his job wasn't done. The veil between worlds, realities, and times was thinner than anyone knew.
Caleb Thorne slipped the stone into his inner pocket, pulled up his vintage leather collar, and walked out into the foggy, bustling streets of Oakhaven. He was the Finder of lost things, the tracer of ephemeral trails. And he was ready for the next case.
[The End]
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