Nate rubbed his eyes as he walked down the quiet hallway, the wooden floor cold beneath his feet. He hadn't been able to sleep. His thoughts kept circling the same questions, the same fears. Jack, Bella, Madison—where were they? Were they even alive? Every possible answer just made it worse.
He was halfway to the kitchen when he paused. His brows furrowed.
It was faint, but he could hear it—soft, muffled whimpers behind a closed door.
Sera's room.
Without wasting a second, Nate turned the knob and pushed the door open.
"Sera?" he called softly.
What he saw made his chest tighten.
She was curled up tightly on her bed, knees drawn to her chest, her thin nightgown clinging to her skin, soaked with sweat. Her dark hair was tousled and stuck to her forehead. Her whole body trembled, and though her cries were quiet, they were filled with pain and fear—like a child lost in a storm.
Nate rushed to her side, sitting on the edge of her bed and gently grabbing her hand.
