That night, she followed the ritual instructions carefully, lighting candles and speaking words of protection and love throughout the house. As she moved through each room, she felt a sense of calm settle within her. When she reached the nursery, she lingered, repeating words of protection with extra emphasis.

To her surprise, the atmosphere felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted. The whispers were never heard again. Her eldest son, relieved and more at ease, resumed a normal sleeping schedule, only entering his brother’s room in the mornings to play rather than out of necessity.