MIAS POV

The nightmare jolted me awake, Xavier's angry face from earlier still haunting me. My throat felt like sandpaper - I hadn't had anything to drink since morning.

At least they couldn't deny me water.

The house was quiet as I crept downstairs, my bare feet silent on the cold floor. Maybe I could slip out after, get some air. Anything to escape the suffocating weight of this place.

Light spilled from the living room. I tried to sneak past, but

"Where are ...