The first attack from outside happened without any warning.
It was very precise.
The Vale estate was quiet that night.
Not a peaceful quiet.
Not a calm one.
Just… still.
It was the kind of quiet you get right before everything shifts.
Lila felt it before anyone even said anything.
A change deep down.
Not just in the house.
But outside it.
She stood on the west balcony, looking over the grounds where the shadows seemed too long.
The air felt heavy.
Not in a scary way.
But like it was watching.
“You feel it too.”
Kael's voice came from right behind her.
It was low.
And sure.
Lila didn't turn around.
“Yes.”
There was a pause.
Then—
“This isn’t you,” she said. “Or Dorian.”
Kael moved closer.
Not right next to her yet.
Just close enough to share the space between them.
