Silence greeted her plea, broken only by the haunting sound of her own breath. Panic welled up inside her, threatening to consume her entirely. She took a step backward, her foot landing on a loose floorboard.
Her breath caught in her throat as she froze in place, her eyes widening with a mix of anticipation and dread. Time seemed to stand still as the weight of the moment pressed upon her, the oppressive silence broken only by the sound of her racing heartbeat.
Suddenly the air shifted, as a figure seemed to move in the shadows. At first, Rachael thought it was her own illusion that was playing a cruel joke on her. But that illusion turned into reality when a floorboard creaked loudly, the sound echoing through the desolate courtyard.
Someone was there with her.
