Her chest felt tight. It was a suffocating pressure, like the air in the room had suddenly turned to lead.
Deep in her bones, that feeling returned. The same one that had been haunting her for weeks.
The feeling of being watched.
Seraphina turned slowly toward the window.
The heavy curtains fluttered. It was a tiny movement, just a slight ripple in the fabric. Like something—or someone—had just brushed past them.
Her breath caught in her throat.
For a split second, she saw it. A shadow, darker than the night itself, flickering at the edge of her vision before disappearing into the gloom.
Then— Buzz. Buzz.
Her phone vibrated on the nightstand.
Seraphina's heart hammered against her ribs. She picked it up. An unknown number.
Her fingers trembled as she swiped the screen.
[You chose the wrong side.]
The words were simple and direct.
Seraphina's blood ran ice-cold. She looked back at the window, but there was nothing there. Just the empty, silent dark.
