The instant the lights returned, the room felt smaller, sharper, as if the darkness had carved tension into every corner. My heart hammered, lungs tight, and I felt Adrian’s presence like a tether, grounding me even as adrenaline kept every nerve on edge.
“Move slowly,” he whispered, his eyes scanning every shadow, every inch. The calmness in his tone didn’t mask the tension coiled beneath it; I could feel it, sharp and dangerous.
I nodded, swallowing hard, trying to steady the wild pulse racing through my veins. Every instinct screamed that the room itself had changed, that secrets and danger lurked in corners I couldn’t see. My mind raced. What had they planned while the lights were out? How many were watching? Who else had moved in without us noticing?
The first intruder stepped forw
