**Chapter 6: Facing the Ghosts of the Past**

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Emily making coffee in the kitchen. I had been lying awake all night, thinking about the search we had done the day before and the strange feelings I had been experiencing. I got out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, where Emily was already sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of her. "Morning, Noa," she said, as I sat down across from her. "How are you feeling today?" I shook my head, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I don't know, Emily. I just feel so lost. I keep thinking about the four hotels and how I lost them. It's just so hard to accept." Emily put down her coffee and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so sorry, Noa. Losing something so important to you is devastating. But you have to remember that you're not alone. I'm here for you, and I'll support you through this." I pulled back and looked at her, tears streaming down my face. "I just feel like I'm going crazy, Emily. I keep seeing things and feeling like I'm being watched. I don't know what's going on." Emily held me close again. "It's okay, Noa. You're grieving. It's a hard process, but you're strong. You can get through this." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm so scared, Emily. I'm scared that I'll never be able to come to terms with what happened. I'm scared that I'll be stuck in this grief forever." Emily pulled back and looked at me. "You're not alone, Noa. I'm here for you. And you're not stuck in this grief. You're just... processing it." I nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over me. "I want to go back to my house, Emily. I want to face whatever is going on there." Emily looked concerned. "Are you sure you're ready for that, Noa? We can do it another time if you need to." But I was determined. "No, I'm sure. I need to face whatever is going on. I need to know that I'm not going crazy." Emily nodded. "Okay, then let's do it. We can go back to your house and... face whatever is going on." I stood up and wiped my eyes. "Thanks, Emily. I don't know what I'd do without you." We drove back to my house, and as we pulled up, I felt a sense of trepidation. But with Emily by my side, I felt braver. I got out of the car and walked back to the front door. As we entered, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. "I'm not afraid to come back," I said to Emily, as we walked through the rooms. "I'm not afraid to face whatever is going on here." Emily looked at me with concern. "Are you sure, Noa?" I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Let's do this." With newfound determination, I began to search the house again. And Emily was right there with me. After a while, I turned to her and said, "You know, I think I'm ready to face whatever is going on here." Emily nodded. "I'm here for you, Noa. Whatever it is, we'll face it together." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think I'm ready to face it now." As I spoke, I felt a chill run down my spine. I looked around the room, and that's when I saw it. Felt it. The presence. "Who are you?" I shouted, my voice echoing through the room. There was no response, but I felt a sense of calm wash over me. And then, suddenly, I saw them. The four hotels. They were standing in front of me, their beautiful facades glowing in the light. I cried out in shock, but as I looked at them, I realized that they were the ghosts I had been feeling. I understood that they were the ones I had been searching for. They began to speak, their voices echoing in my mind. "Noa, we're so sorry. We didn't mean to leave you. We didn't mean to cause you so much pain." I felt a wave of emotion wash over me as I stared at them. They were so beautiful, so vibrant. I had missed them so much. "Why did you leave me?" I asked, my voice shaking. The four hotels looked at each other, then back at me. "We didn't leave you, Noa," they said in unison. "We were always with you. We just... went away for a little while." I felt a surge of emotion and began to cry. "I missed you so much," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The four hotels began to move towards me, and I felt a sense of comfort wash over me. I reached out and they enveloped me in a warm hug. "I'm so sorry, Noa," they said, their voices echoing in my mind. "We didn't mean to cause you so much pain. We love you." I cried and cried, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. But as I hugged them back, I realized that I couldn't feel their touch. They were ghosts, after all. "I'm so glad you're back," I said, my voice shaking. They smiled, and I could see the sadness in their eyes. "We're not going anywhere, Noa," they said. "We're here with you, always." I pulled back and looked at them, feeling a sense of joy and sadness mixed together. "I'm so glad I can see you again," I said. They smiled, and I could see the love in their eyes. "We're not going anywhere, Noa," they repeated. As I hugged them, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I had faced my fears, and I had found closure. I knew that I still had a long way to go, but with the four hotels by my side, I felt like I could face anything.