FAYE
Helen's voice was calmer now.
“Let's go again… close your eyes. Breathe,” she said softly. “Again, don't force it… let it pass through you.”
I tried.
I really did.
I closed my eyes, focused on the steady rhythm of my breath.
Waiting.
“Again,” Helen encouraged. “Deeper this time.”
For a brief moment, everything aligned. The noise in my head softened. My heartbeat steadied.
Then—
Crash.
The sound exploded through the house, sharp and violent. Wood splintered. Glass shattered somewhere outside the room.
My eyes flew open.
Helen was on her feet instantly.
“Behind me,” she ordered—no hesitation, no fear.
Another crash followed, closer this time. The doors gave way with a brutal crack, the force of it sending a wave through the floor beneath us.
I pushed myself up, my hand i
