Empty Crosses

Empty Crosses serves as a prequel to The Smoke Room, exploring the backstory of Raymond Kilmont, a deacon living in the town of Echo. The narrative centers on Raymond's struggle with deep psychological trauma stemming from a traumatic event at a lake, which has left him emotionally broken and unable to move forward. Murdoch, the sole surviving son of the Byrnes family, carries his own scars from the same incident that occurred eight years earlier. Both characters are searching for emotional connection and healing. The story brings these two men together, forging an intimate bond that neither anticipated possible. Their relationship becomes a vehicle for processing shared pain and discovering hope. The visual novel incorporates religious and sexual themes as the characters navigate their intertwined histories and seek redemption through connection with one another.