Azzurra jolted awake to the sound of soft whimpers echoing in the stillness of her room. Sitting upright, she scanned the dimly lit space empty.

A quiet dread curled in her chest.

She slowly swung her legs off the bed, blinking into the darkness. There it was again another faint sob, this time coming from just outside her door.

Grimacing at the pain lancing through her leg, she used her crutches to rise to her feet and hobbled toward the door. Pressing her ear to the smooth wood, she froze. ...