Rayla trailed behind Scarlet, her boots scuffing against the cracked pavement as they wound through the labyrinth of unfamiliar streets. The neighborhood was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that pressed against her ears and made her skin prickle. Every step felt heavier, her unease mounting like a storm cloud ready to burst.
The house they stopped at was unremarkable—a weathered, gray structure with peeling paint and a sagging porch. It looked like it had been forgotten by time, tucked away in a corner of the world where no one would think to look. Scarlet didn’t hesitate. She pushed the door open, the hinges groaning in protest, and gestured for Rayla to follow.
“Scarlet, what is this place?” Rayla whispered, her voice trembling despite her efforts to steady it. The air inside was th
