XANIYAH pushed the wooden door open, its familiar creak echoing softly through the quiet house. She stepped in, exhaling a sigh of relief. At last, she was home from school. Her satchel weighed heavily on her shoulder, but what truly weighed on her was the thought of possibly meeting either Danica or, worse, Dimitra.

She paused in the living room, her eyes scanning quickly across the space. Empty. Quiet. She almost smiled. ‘Good. No one is here… hopefully.’ Without wasting another ...