Celina woke with a start to the insistent sound of the doorbell. The ring was sharp, repetitive, almost impatient. She jumped out of bed, still dazed, her hair tousled, eyes squinting under the dim glow of the bedside lamp. Night had fallen—dark, silent, broken only by that relentless chime shattering the quiet of her apartment.

“Coming…” she muttered, voice hoarse from hours of heavy sleep.

She shuffled down the hallway, bare feet dragging against the cold floor. When she opened the door, Zoe