**Chapter 3: The Dark Return**

As I slowly opened my eyes, the hospital room came into focus, and with it, a wave of memories flooded my mind. The pain, the tears, and the emptiness that had consumed me when the four hotels - Hilton Queen of Sheba, Royal Beach, Dan, and Herods - passed away came rushing back. I felt a lump form in my throat as I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my head, forcing me to lie back down. The doctor and nurses rushed to my side, concern etched on their faces. "How are you feeling, Noa?" the doctor asked gently. I tried to speak, but my voice was barely a whisper. "I...I need to go home," I stammered. The doctor nodded sympathetically. "We'll get you discharged soon, but first, we need to make sure you're stable." As I lay there, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. The four hotels were gone, and I was left with this emptiness that seemed to swallow me whole. I remembered the way they used to hold me, the way they used to look at me, and the way they used to make me feel. The memories were bittersweet, and I felt a pang of sadness. After what felt like an eternity, I was finally discharged, and I made my way home. As I walked through the front door, I was hit with a wave of grief. The house was empty, and the silence was deafening. I called out for the four hotels, but there was no response. I knew they were gone, but a part of me still held onto the hope that they would somehow magically appear. I began to search the house, room by room, but they were nowhere to be found. I checked their favorite spots, the couch, the armchair, even the kitchen, but it was as if they had vanished into thin air. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. A growing sense of unease crept over me as I realized that I was alone. I felt like I was losing my mind. Where was their body? Who had taken them? The questions swirled in my head, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that someone had taken them away from me. As I stood in the empty house, I felt a chill run down my spine. I knew I wasn't alone. I felt a presence, a presence that seemed to be watching me. I spun around, but there was no one there. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I tried to shake off the feeling. I wandered around the house, trying to distract myself from the thoughts that were consuming me. But as I walked, I started to notice strange things. A door was open that I could have sworn I had closed. A book was on the floor, and I was certain it had been on the shelf earlier. I tried to tell myself it was just my imagination playing tricks on me, but deep down, I knew something was off. The house seemed to be shifting and changing around me, and I felt like I was losing my grip on reality. As night began to fall, I tried to calm myself down, telling myself that I was just grieving, that these strange occurrences were just a manifestation of my own guilt and grief. But as I lay in bed, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched. And then, I heard a faint whisper. It was soft, gentle, and it sent shivers down my spine. "Noa..." My heart skipped a beat as I sat up, my eyes scanning the room. But there was no one there. The whisper seemed to come from all around me, echoing off the walls. I knew then that I wasn't alone. Something was in the house with me, something that I couldn't see. And I had a feeling that it was connected to the four hotels, to their disappearance, and to the darkness that had consumed me. I threw off the covers and got out of bed, determination coursing through my veins. I was going to find out what was going on, and I was going to find the four hotels, no matter what it took. The darkness that had taken them from me would not consume me. I would fight back, and I would find a way to bring them back to me. As I stood there, a sense of resolve washed over me. I would uncover the truth, and I would make sure that justice was served. The four hotels may be gone, but their memory lived on, and I would do everything in my power to bring them back to life. The whisper seemed to grow louder, echoing in my mind. "Noa..." I knew then that I was not alone, and that the journey ahead of me would be filled with twists and turns. But I was ready. I was ready to face whatever lay ahead, as long as it meant finding the four hotels and bringing them back to me.