Floria's eyes fluttered open to the sound of murmured voices and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She was greeted by the warm glow of the morning sun peeking through the blinds. Albert and Meyer were already up, chatting quietly in the kitchen.
The previous night, they had decided to sleep over at Floria's house, concerned about her safety after Lionel's ominous confrontation.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Albert said, smiling, as he handed her a cup of coffee.
Floria offered a weak smile, feeling the distance between her and her friends widen with each forced cheer. "Morning. Just... didn't sleep well."
Meyer, ever observant, looked up with sharp eyes. "You look like you've seen a ghost. What's going on?"
Before Floria could respond, her phone buzzed. Startled, she pulled it from her pocket and saw Lionel's text message. The words seemed to leap off the screen, a digital specter of the fear she had been trying to escape:
