The sound of the ringing phone shattered the serious conversation between Lily and Lucian, demanding her immediate attention. With a sinking feeling in her gut, Lily answered to hear her best friend Samantha's frantic voice on the other end. She could barely make out anything coherent amidst Samantha's panicked ramblings, but the urgency in her tone was enough to send chills down Lily's spine.
Without hesitation, she excused herself from Lucian and rushed back to her apartment, every step filled with mounting dread. The usually calming walk now felt ominous as Lily's mind raced with worry for her friend.
As she approached her building, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible had happened. And when she saw that her door was unlocked, an icy fear gripped her heart.
Upon
