Gino—or what’s inside him—is playing with them. But the worst part? They still don’t know what he is. And he wants them to wonder. Wants them to doubt.
Because doubt makes them hesitate.
And hesitation?
That’s exactly what he’s waiting for.
The silence he left behind wasn’t empty.
It was heavy.
A thick, suffocating weight that pressed against their chests, squeezing tighter with every second that passed.
Makayla’s ears rang.
Her breath felt off—like her lungs had forgotten how to work, like she was waiting for something to break the quiet.
Mikhail hadn’t moved.
Not even an inch.
Neither had Vivienne.
The three of them stood frozen in place, still locked in the moment before he disappeared—
As if they were afraid that moving would somehow bring him back.
Makayla swallowed hard
