That night settled wrong and it didn’t bring calm. The air felt too still and too clean like something had been cleared out ahead of time.
I stood in the hallway and listened. The house held its breath in a way that didn’t make sense and every instinct I had pushed sharp against my ribs.
Something was off.
I moved without thinking and checked the front door first. The lock was still set and handle didn’t give. The windows along the living room stayed dark and quiet and looked exactly how they should.
I stepped toward the back and checked the side entrance. I ran my fingers along the frame where the knife had been and felt the groove still there like a memory carved into the wood.
Nothing moved outside and nothing shifted. That didn’t mean anything.
“Storm.” Drake called from som
