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"That's not possible."

"What?"

I point.

"The coordinates are moving."

The numbers shift. Updating. Tracking. Not a location. A direction.

The house lights flicker harder. Sayer backs deeper into the room.

"It's inside."

Rhett moves.

"Inside where?"

Sayer looks upward. The ceiling.

"The walls."

A crack of thunder shakes the windows. The entire cottage goes dark. This time, the emergency lights do not activate.

For several seconds, there is only darkness. Then every phone screen illuminates at once.

A message appears. Not written. Displayed.

YOU KEEP LOOKING.

Another line appears.

SO I WILL SHOW YOU.

The phones go black. The silence afterward feels different. Not empty. Waiting.

I turn on my flashlight.

"We need to assign roles."

Rhett looks at me.

"Sayer?"

I force myself to stay calm. Because panic is exactly what this thing wants.

"We stop reacting."

I look at each of them.

"We start controlling."

Rhett studies me. Then nods.

"Okay."

I point toward the equipment.

"Rhett, defense. You monitor the perimeter and handle anything physical."