Echoes In Hawkins [elmax au]

Hawkins was supposed to be quiet now. The gates to the Upside Down are sealed, the monsters gone, and the scars of the past fading-at least on the surface. But when a string of eerie murders shakes the town, the old crew is pulled back into a mystery that feels all too familiar.

Now in their early twenties, Maxine and Jane-formerly Eleven-are trying to rebuild their lives. Jane, stripped of her powers, is learning to live as herself for the first time, navigating a world that no longer fears her but doesn't quite understand her either. Maxine, still haunted by memories she can't explain, finds herself drawn to Jane in ways that go beyond friendship.

As the murders grow more disturbing-victims found with warped bodies and strange symbols scorched into their skin-the group realizes the force behind them isn't human. It's something supernatural, something that knows them intimately. And it's not done with Hawkins.

With no powers to rely on and a love quietly blooming between them, Maxine and Jane must face a threat that twists reality itself. Because survival isn't just about defeating the darkness-it's about holding onto the light they've found in each other