Ana's POV
I pressed myself into the basement corner, watching the wasps nearby with terror. Any second, they might swarm toward me.
The constant buzzing echoed in my head like some cursed chant. My nerves stretched to their breaking point.
Then the lights died.
Complete darkness swallowed the room. My fragile composure shattered. "No... don't..." I breathed.
Aileen's voice drifted through the door. "Ana, are you enjoying my little surprise? Don't worry—this is only the start."
I wrapped my arms around myself, trembling violently in the corner. Her voice became distant, fading away.
It felt like being trapped in that childhood attic again—surrounded by blackness and the terrifying hiss of serpents. Now wasp buzzing joined the nightmare chorus.
I braced for an attack from the shadows, eyes stretched wide as tears streamed down silently. My mind crumbled, though my drained body wouldn't grant me unconsciousness.
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