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AUTHOR’S POV
The night was still and heavy, the kind that pressed in around the world like a thick velvet curtain.
The house was silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves outside the window, the occasional creak of the wooden floors settling with the cool night air.
Sloane was curled beneath the thick covers in Vivian’s bed, her body nestled against the warmth of the blankets.
The weight of the day had drained her, and sleep had come quickly. It was rare for her to sleep so deeply, but exhaustion had finally claimed her.
Until something disturbed her.
She wasn’t sure at first—perhaps it was a sound, or a shift in the air, something almost imperceptible but enough to stir her subconscious.
Then she felt it.
A presence.
Her body tensed, instinct screaming at her to wa
