Kiel
It had been three days since that scream. Three days since Josie vanished. Three days of silence echoing louder than any noise.
And in those three days, I hadn't been able to do a single thing right. Every breath felt like failure. Every step reminded me that she was gone because of me. If I'd been sharper, stronger, if I'd paid more attention—she wouldn't have been taken.
The guilt pressed down so heavily it felt like I was drowning in it. Sleep didn't come easily. When it did, it was twisted with nightmares—Josie reaching out for me while shadows dragged her away. Each time I jolted awake, heart hammering, and cursed myself all over again.
That night was no different. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, when I felt it.
A voice. Not exactly a sound, not exactly a thought—something in between. It brushed against the edges of my mind like leaves rustling in a wind that shouldn't exist inside a room.
I froze, breath caught in my throat.
