Theo and Mason were already on the porch. The front door was open — not wide, but just enough to be wrong.
Sophie arrived last, yawning. “This better be good.”
Theo pushed the door fully open.
The moment they stepped inside, Lilly gasped.
The house was a wreck.
Chairs knocked over. A lamp smashed on the floor. Pictures fallen off the walls. Madison’s backpack torn open, books scattered everywhere. A table shoved sideways like someone had slammed into it.
Mason whispered, “She fought back.”
Theo nodded. “Hard.”
Sophie shrugged. “Or she tripped. Madison’s clumsy.”
Lilly glared at her. “Sophie, shut up.”
They moved deeper into the house.
The hallway carpet was rumpled, like someone had been dragged or pushed. A shoe lay abandoned halfway down the hall. A glass was shattered near the kitchen doorway.
Theo’s voice was low. “This wasn’t an accident.”
They reached Madison’s bedroom.
The door was wide open.
The room was a disaster — blankets ripped off the bed, drawers pulled out, clothes everywhere, her desk chair knocked over.
But the worst part wasn’t the mess.
It was the silence.
And then—
A soft whine.
Lilly’s breath caught. “Bear?”
He was curled in the corner of the room, shaking, eyes wide, tail tucked. The moment he saw Lilly, he ran to her, pressing his head into her chest.
Lilly wrapped her arms around him. “It’s okay… I’ve got you.”
Theo scanned the room. “No handprints. No static burns. Nothing like Jamie’s house.”
Mason nodded. “The Echo took her fast. Violent. But clean.”
Sophie leaned against the wall. “So she’s gone too. Great.”
Lilly ignored her. She stroked Bear’s fur gently. “You’re safe now. I’ll look after you.”
Bear whined softly, pressing closer.
ns216.73.216.48da2
and then Add to home screen.