"Eli? What is it?" asked Julia.

"I don't know, I think I heard a noise... the sound of breaking glass."

"Is your dad still awake?" questions Alicia.

"Not normally. He's probably asleep. Maybe he got up to get something to eat or drink... Which is odd, because he always has a bottle of water in his room and makes sure it's always full. I'll go and have a look."

"Are you sure about this?" questions Alicia.

"Not at all, that's why I'm taking you virtually with me," murmurs Eli, his hands trembling slightly. "Be quiet, both of you."

Julia and Alicia hold their breath at the other end of the call, each in her own room, away from Eli's house. The latter takes a deep breath and slowly gets out of bed, her bare feet barely touching the floor to avoid making the slightest noise.

The house seemed strangely silent. Too quiet. Eli crept down the corridor, each step bringing her closer to the source of the mysterious noise. When she reached the stairs, Eli stopped for a moment, listening again. The silence was still there, heavy and worrying.

She descended the stairs one by one, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. Her heart racing, she made her way towards the living room. When she reached the kitchen, she saw a flash of light under the door. A light that should never have been there at this hour.

"Eli, are you still there?" murmurs Julia, her voice trembling.

"Yes... Shhh..." she answers softly. Her hand rests gently on the door handle, which she opens slowly, holding her breath.

What she saw next made her heart leap into her chest. A stranger, dressed head to toe in black, was rummaging through the drawers of her father's desk. He hadn't yet noticed Eli, who was frozen in the shadows.

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"What do you see?" Alicia asks in a whisper, concern palpable in her voice.

"There's someone... in my father's office," Eli replies almost inaudibly. She feels a shiver of fear, but also of adrenaline, run through her body. Eli knew she had to react quickly.

Without making a sound, she gradually stepped back, closing the door behind her. Eli makes her way back up the stairs as quietly as she came down and takes refuge in her bedroom, closing and locking the door before saying in a low voice:

"We've got a problem. There's a burglar in the house."

"Oh my God! What are you going to do?" cries Alicia, frightened.

"I'm going to call the police, stay on the line," Eli replies, trying to stay calm. She dials the emergency number. In a few seconds that seem like an eternity, she explains the situation to the operator, who assures her that a patrol is on its way.

"They're on their way. I've got to make sure my dad's OK," Eli told her two friends.

"Be careful, Eli," adds Julia, her voice full of concern.

Eli nods, although her friends can't see her. She then headed for her father's room.

Before she could reach her father's room, she felt a hand close over her mouth. In panic, she drops her phone. She tried to struggle. She kicked the person behind her in the shin. He lets out an expletive and releases her slightly. Eli manages to free himself and discovers the masked person in front of him. The burglar gives her a huge punch in the stomach. Eli thinks she's going to vomit and gasps for breath. Eli manages to scream. The burglar then punches her in the face. Eli's lip bursts and blood flows.

The burglar pounces on her. Her father bursts out of her room and pounces on the burglar. A huge fight ensues. The burglar manages to break free and flees. Police sirens can be heard in the distance.

Léon hesitates to pursue the burglar, but he sees his daughter, her lip bloody and struggling to breathe. He stays with her and immediately calls for an ambulance. He blames himself. Why had he given in to taking a sleeping pill? If he hadn't, he would have woken up much sooner.

"You're rusty, Dad," Eli gasps. "In the old days, you'd have demolished the burglar in less than two seconds." She gives a half smile.

Leon takes her in his arms. "I'll be joining a gym again then..." he says with a smile that doesn't communicate itself to her eyes.

"It's not your fault, Dad," Eli murmurs.