I woke up to the faint sound of movement outside my door. My body tensed immediately, and my senses sharpened. I strained to listen, heart pounding, but the noise faded as quickly as it had come. A quick glance at the clock told me it was barely dawn. No one should be up yet, except maybe Samuel, who tended to rise early when he couldn’t sleep.
Throwing off the covers, I slid out of bed quietly, grabbing a shirt and slipping into my boots. The house was eerily quiet as I stepped out into the hallway, the air thick with an unsettling stillness. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
I made my way toward the living room, each step careful and deliberate. As I rounded the corner, I saw Noelle sitting by the window, staring blankly into th
