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Chapter 492

Author: Eli Sole
Before Ryan could respond, William had already sat down on another stone nearby.

“You think we’re just here to lie to you, don’t you?” William asked casually.

“No.”

Ryan blurted it out without even thinking, his voice edged with defiance.

“You guys aren’t from around here. Sooner or later, you’re all gonna leave. I get that.”

He looked out at the other kids running around the courtyard, his expression unreadable.

“They get it too. Their parents used to come back sometimes. And every time they left again, they’d tell them the same thing. Study hard. Be good. Wait for Mom and Dad to come home.

“But while they were waiting, life didn’t wait. Their grandparents got sick. They couldn’t reach their parents. And they had to drop out of school just to take care of the old folks at home. Feeding animals, splitting wood, running errands—whatever it took to survive.

“Then their grandparents passed away. And after all that, school just didn’t matter anymore. What was the point?”

Ryan bi
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