The school hallways were dark and silent under the glow of emergency lights. Elias moved like a shadow through the empty corridors, his footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floors. He had studied the security patterns for weeks. The night guard made his rounds every forty minutes, and the cameras had blind spots near the senior lockers. It was almost too easy.
He stopped in front of Claire’s locker, heart pounding with twisted excitement. His fingers worked quickly on the combination lock — he had memorized it long ago. The door clicked open.
Inside, he placed the envelope carefully on top of her books. The photo inside had been taken two nights ago from the trees behind her house. Claire sleeping peacefully in her bed, moonlight spilling across her ginger hair, completely una
