Chapter 1: The Missed Call
At exactly 2:17 a.m., the room was silent except for the slow whirring of the ceiling fan. She was half asleep when her phone vibrated beside her pillow. The screen lit up the dark room—one missed call from an unknown number.
She stared at it for a few seconds, her heart beating faster for no clear reason. Unknown calls were common. Telemarketers. Scams. Mistakes. She turned the phone face down and closed her eyes again, unaware that this small moment would soon replay in her mind again and again.
Sleep didn't return easily that night.