It was already dark outside when you finally returned home after a long day at work. Shoes off, jacket hung up, you noticed how quiet the apartment was.

Blade usually had the TV on at this hour, or at least the sound of a shower running. Tonight, there was nothing—an unusual stillness that made the air feel heavier.

Curious, you wandered through the apartment, checking the living room and kitchen. Then you noticed a faint glow coming from under Blade’s bedroom door. Not bright enough to flood the hall, but enough to catch your attention.

Maybe he’d fallen asleep reading, you thought. Yet the quiet pressed against you, and the light flickered slightly, as if moving on its own.

You stepped closer, hand hovering over the doorknob. “Blade?” you called softly.

No answer.

The sliver of light persisted, stubborn and silent, leaving you to wonder what he was doing in there.