Blake (in Elena's body) POV

I knew something was wrong the moment the house went quiet in that unnatural way.

Not the normal nighttime quiet where doors settled and pipes sighed and the world exhaled. This was sharper. Like the air itself was listening.

I stood at the top of the stairs in Elena’s body, one hand wrapped around the banister, heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. Below me, the Prescott house glowed softly with lamplight. Mary’s voice drifted from the sitting ...