But then… a faint sound echoed behind the wall. Everyone fell silent. It was subtle, almost imperceptible — a low, rhythmic thumping. Officer Ramirez motioned for silence, straining his ears to catch the source of the noise. Despite its subtlety, it reverberated with an unsettling persistence.

The girl’s mother looked bewildered, her earlier confidence beginning to wane. “We’ve never heard anything before,” she insisted, her voice trembling slightly. Her husband stood behind her, arms crossed but his eyes betraying doubt.

Officer Ramirez, driven by a gut feeling that had saved him many times before, pulled out a small flashlight and shone it against the back wall of the closet. He knocked gently, and the sound reverberated strangely, hinting at an unexpected hollowness. He exchanged a glance with his partner, Officer Lopez, who nodded in silent agreement.