A short text message from Ethan arrived: *Don't get into any car. Run back into the hall right now. I'm on my way.*
Clara looked up, staring at the man in the car as he began to open the door. Her heart pounded as she realized that the sincere lie she had just delivered on stage had now drawn the true monster right before her eyes.
***
Ethan stared at the pile of dry leaves in the corner of the Thorne residence backyard. His hand gripped the broom, moving in a precise, rhythmic pattern, as if cleaning the yard were the only task that mattered in the world. Yet, beneath his indifferent gaze, his ears were tuned to a frequency inaudible to normal human hearing.
The watch on his left wrist gave off a subtle, almost imperceptible buzz. The vibration traveled through the bones of his hand,
