Nicholas's POV:
On reaching her room, I pushed the door, and surprisingly, it opened this time around.
I dashed in, followed closely by my brothers, my chest tightening with worry.
Stephanie was on the floor, her knees tucked under her chin, her face buried against them. She was all dressed up—like she’d been preparing to go somewhere before…whatever this was.
As if sensing our presence, she raised her face. Her cheeks were flushed red, and beads of sweat clung to her forehead. The faint lines of stress on her face were more visible than ever.
“What happened?” I asked, unable to mask the urgency in my voice.
She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she spoke. “I was getting ready for school when this… this burning pain started on my hand. It was so intense. And then, when the pain
