The moment I opened the door, the chill hit me first, cold, deliberate, and uninviting. My pulse surged, my heart hammering like it was trying to escape my chest. Every instinct screamed that something had changed, that the air itself had shifted, thick with tension and danger. Adrian’s presence beside me was immediate, silent, a shadow that anchored me even as fear clawed at my nerves.
“Do you feel it?” I whispered, barely moving my lips.
He didn’t answer at first, eyes scanning the room like a predator mapping its territory. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, precise, and deadly calm. “Always.”
A sudden metallic click rang from behind us. I flinched, every nerve on edge. Shadows seemed to move of their own volition, pressing closer, curling around corners. I wanted to retreat,
