Avery's POV
I was sitting on the windowsill, eyes fixed on nothing, my thoughts drifting aimlessly.
After my argument with Mom, I'd gone up to my old bedroom—
which, unlike the rest of the house, had completely changed.
I had expected to find my childhood room.
But it was the exact opposite.
It was as if the room had grown up with me.
As if it had adapted.
The walls.
Once pale blue, covered in posters—familiar faces from my childhood:
Zac Efron with his awkward smile, Selena Gomez back in her Disney days, a slightly crooked Jonas Brothers poster, and the Totally Spies one whose colors had faded in the sun.
All of it was gone.
In their place: cream-colored walls.
The exact same shade as the ones in my current bedroom.
My stomach tightened.
I took a few slow steps inside, as if the room might close in on me at any moment.
My eyes were drawn to the wardrobe.
It was no longer the small white dresser from before, covered in peeling stickers.
Now it was modern, sleek—almost elegant.
I opened it.
My breath caught.
Inside weren't my old childhood clothes.
No overly colorful dresses.
No glittery T-shirts.
They were my clothes.
The ones I wear now.
Dark jeans.
Loose hoodies.
Neutral jackets.
Same style.
Same size.
I shut the door abruptly, my heart pounding.
My vanity was gone too.
In its place stood a simple table, almost impersonal. On it, a few cosmetic products I recognized immediately—the ones I still used. No more. No less.
"That's not possible…" I whispered.
The bed.
Same color.
Same size.
The same minimal simplicity as the one back home.
In this room, there was nothing left of the little girl I was supposed to have been.
Nothing… except one thing.
I slowly lifted my gaze.
The glow-in-the-dark stars.
Still there.
Dozens of them.
Hundreds.
Clinging to the ceiling like a stubborn remnant of the past.
They glimmered faintly, even with the light on.
As if they refused to disappear.
My throat tightened.
"Damn it… what is going on…?" I murmured.
A shiver ran through me.
This room hadn't been frozen in time.
It had changed.
And then a chilling thought hit me, without warning—
It's as if Mom anticipated what was going to happen.
I sighed, letting the cool air brush through my hair, making me shiver despite myself. I was about to close the window when I noticed something in the darkness.
Flashing lights.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to make out what I thought I was seeing.
The lights slowed… then stopped.
I straightened, my gaze locked on the glowing points until they finally went out.
Despite the darkness, I thought I could make out silhouettes moving toward the house.
I followed them with my eyes.
When they got close enough, the outdoor light confirmed it.
Two men were heading toward us.
Suddenly, a lingering sensation crept over me.
Not unpleasant.
Not oppressive.
But somehow both at once.
Like someone was watching me.
Uneasy, I went downstairs.
I'd barely reached the bottom of the stairs when the doorbell rang—followed almost immediately by the sound of the door opening.
By the time I reached the living room, the door was already open.
My mother stood there.
"Who is it?" I asked Daniel, who was standing nearby.
He only shrugged, just as confused as I was.
My mother stepped aside slightly. I leaned forward, trying to see who they were.
And then I saw their faces.
At the sight of one of them, my heart slammed violently against my ribs.
My breath caught.
I swallowed hard.
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