"Sarah?"
Jayden rapped his knuckles against the heavy wooden door, the sound echoing hollowly into the quiet corridor. He called out her name once more, his voice laced with a thin thread of uncertainty that he hated to admit was there. When nothing but a suffocating silence greeted him from within, his brow furrowed into a tight line of annoyance.
An irritated sigh escaped his lips. Impatience flared hot beneath his skin, gnawing away at his restraint until he could no longer hold himself back. Reaching out, he gripped the brass handle and pushed the door open. To his surprise, the lock didn't catch; the door swung inward smoothly, revealing a room bathed in muted light. It was utterly devoid of life. The stillness in the air felt heavy, almost suffocating, yet despite the undeniable void, Jayden's feet moved on instinct. He crossed the threshold into her personal sanctuary.
"Sarah?" he called out again, his pitch rising with a mix of frustration and burgeoning anxiety.
