Side chapter: Zaya grandma prank

The warm cocoon of quiet didn't last long. Just as I was about to drift off, lulled by the steady beat of Zaya's heart beneath me, a sudden noise shattered the calm. A low, creaking sound echoed through the villa, followed by a faint, eerie laugh.

My eyes flew open. "Did you hear that?" I whispered, lifting my head from Zaya's chest.

Zaya didn't even flinch. "It's probably just the wind."

"No," I insisted, sitting up straighter. "That laugh was definitely not the wind."

Zaya raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by my rising panic. "Layla, it's a big house. Old houses make noises."

"Okay, but that sounded like something out of a horror movie," I said, glancing nervously around the room. The flickering pumpkin lights didn't exactly help my nerves.

Before Zaya could respond, the lights flickered, plunging the room into darkness for a split second before they blinked back on.

"See? Haunted," I muttered, clutching Zaya's arm.