Chapter 2
Whispers in the Shadows
Days blur into a haze of worry. Maya's behavior escalates: furtive glances, hushed whispers, and sudden bursts of fear. She isolates herself, leaving Lily increasingly concerned about the unseen force tormenting her sister.
The days following that Monday morning bled into one another, each one a little greyer than the last. Lily found herself moving through the house like a ghost, her own footsteps muffled by a growing dread. Maya, her sister, had retreated into a world Lily couldn’t seem to penetrate. The vibrant, laughing girl who had chased butterflies just days before was gone, replaced by a shadow that flitted at the edges of Lily’s vision.
Maya’s room, once a riot of bright colours and discarded art supplies, had