The phone vibrated against the wooden nightstand.
Once.
Twice.
Then again.
Dr. Ethan Hale opened his eyes slowly. His room was dark except for the faint glow of the city lights bleeding through the curtains.
2:17 A.M.
Nobody called him at that hour.
He reached for the phone.
Unknown Number.
A text message appeared.
"You should have saved her, Ethan."
His breath froze.
A cold weight settled in his chest.
Only one person had ever said those words before.
Only one person knew about that night.
His fingers trembled as he typed.
"Who is this?"
The reply came instantly.
"You already know."
Then another message.
An image.
Ethan opened it.
A photograph of a girl.
Her face pale.
Eyes closed.
Lying on a concrete floor.
A date was scribbled in red marker on the wall behind her.
Tomorrow.
Ethan sat upright.
His mind raced.
This wasn't just a threat.
It was a countdown.