Chapter 1
The snow arrived in Blackridge without warning.
No gentle buildup. No festive cheer. Just a sudden, choking silence as the sky turned the color of ash and the town disappeared beneath a white that felt too clean to be innocent.
For Lila Hart, Christmas had never meant joy.
It meant waiting.
She stood at the window of her apartment above the closed flower shop, watching headlights blur through the snowfall. Every year, the same week, something in Blackridge shifted—people went missing, secrets resurfaced, and the town pretended not to notice.
This year, she had promised herself she would stay out of it.
That promise lasted exactly until the knocking began.
Three slow knocks.
Not urgent. Not accidental.
Intentional.
Lila didn’t move at first. The heating pipe hissed behind her like a warning. The clock on the wall ticked too loudly, as if trying to push her toward the door.
Another set of knocks.
This time closer. Heavier.
She reached for the drawer under the counter, fingers brushing the cold metal of the small handgun she kept hidden there. Not because she liked weapons—but because Blackridge taught its girls early how to survive Christmas.
“Who is it?” she called, voice steady even though her pulse wasn’t.
Silence.
Then—
A voice, low and familiar enough to make her stomach drop.
“It’s me.”
Lila froze.
Because the voice belonged to someone who was supposed to be dead.
Her brother.
Evan Hart.
Outside, the snow kept falling like nothing had changed.
Inside, everything already had.
And somewhere in Blackridge, the Christmas lights flickered once… before going out completely.
