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Every night, Daniel received a message from his mother at exactly 9:00 PM.
"Good night, my son. Don't forget to eat. I love you."
It had been the same message for three years.
But there was something strange about it.
His mother had died three years ago.
At first, Daniel thought someone was playing a cruel joke on him. He changed his number, blocked unknown contacts, and even deleted his messaging app.
But every night, the message returned.
One evening, instead of ignoring it, he finally replied.
"Mom, if this is really you, I miss you."
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
"I miss you too, Daniel. Please go home tonight."
Confused and frightened, Daniel immediately called his younger sister, who still lived in their childhood house.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
His sister started crying.
"Daniel, you need to come home. I've been trying to call you all day."
"What happened?"
She took a deep breath.
"Dad is in the hospital. He keeps asking for you. He says he wants to see you one last time."
Daniel immediately drove home.
When he arrived, his father was lying weakly in bed, holding an old photograph of their family.
Daniel held his father's hand and whispered, "I'm here, Dad."
His father smiled faintly.
"Your mother would be happy you're home."
Daniel looked at the photograph and suddenly noticed something.
Behind the picture was a small handwritten note from his mother:
"If one day our family falls apart, I'll find a way to bring you all home."
For the first time in three years, Daniel understood.
Maybe the messages weren't meant to frighten him.
Maybe they were simply a mother's final promise.
And that night, at exactly 9:00 PM, his phone received one last message: