The night air was tense.

Maya crouched behind the overgrown fence beside Elias, her eyes fixed on the dimly lit house across the narrow road. The place looked quiet on the outside, but she couldn’t stop imagining what might be happening inside. She could almost hear Anika’s soft voice, her laughter, her small footsteps—now replaced by silence.

Elias glanced at his watch. “It’s been twenty minutes,” he murmured. “The police are on their way. We wait.”

Maya nodded stiffly, but her fingers fidgeted restlessly. Every second felt heavier than the last.

“She’s in there,” Maya whispered again. Her voice trembled.Did you see her face?”

Elias didn’t answer right away. “She...