The dream came first, a suffocating nightmare of a dark forest, red walls that bled, and an unknown terror. I jolted awake, gasping, only to find my twin niece and nephew, Zoe and Avery, hovering over me like miniature, mischievous gargoyles.

“Seriously?” I groaned, pulling the curtains shut again, only for them to be yanked open the moment I turned my back. "Can't we leave it closed for just five minutes?"

Their innocent grins and a shared, defiant “No” were my morning wake-up call, along with Avery’s blurted confession that their mother, Cora, had gone to see Dad. The moment they scampered off, I called Cora, but she hung up, her voice frantic, before I could ask her why she was still chasing Ethan.

“Are you fucking serious?” I muttered, tossing my phone onto the bed. I knew what this meant: Cora was avoiding me, consumed by whatever was happening with Ethan. It was just like her to try and handle things herself, to try and save everyone, even if it meant dragging us all into her mess.

I sighed, then typed a message: `let me hope you didn’t forget that today is Auntie’s death anniversary, so I humbly request you collect yourself and get back home this instant.`