Chapter 29

Outside Mia's door, the corridor buzzed with a restless energy as Aster and Pako pressed their ears against the cold metal, their breaths fogging in the dim light. Vera lingered behind them, her arms crossed tightly, her fingers fidgeting against her sleeves as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, her purple hair swaying with each anxious twitch. "I hear her squeaking," Aster said, her voice a sharp whisper, her ear flattening harder against the panel as she strained to catch the faintest sound.

"Are you sure?" Vera asked, her tone edged with doubt as she stepped closer, her fidgeting hands betraying the calm she tried to project. Her eyes darted to the door, narrowing as if she could pierce it with sheer will.

"I hear it too," Pako chimed in, her voice a gleeful echo as she pressed her cheek tighter, her short black bob brushing the metal. "Definitely squeaking."