Chapter 15 The Unknown

The black card sat on her nightstand like a dare. Midnight. Wear red. Come alone. Celeste stood in the center of her bedroom, arms folded tightly across her chest, her entire body brimming with a tension she couldn’t shake. The apartment around her was silent, too silent. Even the hum of the refrigerator felt distant, muffled under the weight of her racing thoughts. Every tick of the clock on the wall seemed louder, sharper, counting down to something she wasn’t ready to name.