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The door creaked open. High-heeled footsteps tapped across the hardwood—precise, confident, and terrifyingly familiar.

Elias looked at the tea, then at the door. "Sarah, you can’t keep me here. My friends, my job—they’ll notice I’m gone." RJ431484.mp3

The rain hammered against the windowpane of the attic bedroom, a rhythmic drumming that usually brought Elias peace. Today, it felt like a countdown. He tried to shift in his seat, but the soft click of the heavy brass padlock on his door reminded him he wasn't going anywhere. The door creaked open

"You’re awake," Sarah whispered, placing a tray of steaming tea and honey cakes on the nightstand. She looked radiant, her eyes wide and shining with a light that didn't quite reach the rest of her face. "I was worried you’d sleep through the storm." "Sarah, you can’t keep me here