Iman woke with a jolt.
Her breath caught in her throat, her fingers clenched around the sheets. The dream still clung to her skin like a shadow.
Except it hadn't felt like a dream.
She had been in the chamber again. The walls felt alive, pulsing with symbols, Elara's voice echoing through the stone. Not memory. Not imagination. Something deeper.
"They will find you. They always do."
Iman sat up slowly, pressing her palm against the pillow. The book beneath it was warm, humming faintly, as if it had followed her out of her sleep.
The manor was silent. Too silent. She thought she heard the house breathing.
Then - footsteps, Uneven. Hesitant.
The door creaked open.
"Iman?"
Her heart stopped. She wasn't sure if it was real.
Layla stood in the doorway, wide-eyed, clutching the frame like she wasn't sure if it was real either.
"Layla!" Iman scrambled off the bed, rushing to her. Relief flooded her chest as she pulled her friend into a hug.
Layla clung to her. "I don't even know how I got here. I was outside, then suddenly... this place. I've been wandering for hours. The halls don't make sense."
Iman pulled back, searching her face. "You shouldn't be here."
Layla shook her head. "Too late. I'm not leaving you."
Iman tried to smile, but her voice trembled. "This house isn't safe."
Layla gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah, I figured that out when some pale guy stared at me like I was a ghost. Who is he?"
Iman swallowed. "That's... complicated."
Layla sat on the edge of the bed, still gripping her phone like a weapon. "Then start explaining. Because I don't even know where I am. And if you're in danger, I'm staying."
Iman looked at her best friend-the one who always made her feel real - and realized she couldn't keep the truth buried much longer.
"I think I'm bonded," she whispered.
Layla frowned. "Bonded to what?"
Iman's hand drifted to the pillow, where the book pulsed faintly beneath the fabric.
"To someone who isn't human."
The silence stretched. The storm outside rattled the windows.
And Elara's words echoed again in Iman's mind: They will find you. They always do.