Vashi's eyes remained tightly shut, her breathing slow and measured, though her mind was sharpened with unease. She could feel it again—those shadows shifting at the edges of the room, lurking, circling. Closer… closer.
The air grew heavier, colder, as if something unseen leaned over her. She did not flinch, only waited, every muscle coiled in silence beneath the blanket, her grip tightened on the knife she was holding.
Then…when the presence drew near, so near she could almost feel its breath against her face, her eyes snapped open. In the same heartbeat, her arm shot out from under the covers, striking upward with sudden, deadly precision.
The blades of the knife only pierced through thin air.
Vashi bolted upright, her chest heaving in a frantic rhythm, each breath louder than the si
