Sheila didn’t sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the message.
Stop digging.
The words burned into her mind, looping over and over, like a threat whispered directly into her ear. She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, listening to the faint hum of the city outside her apartment window. Every sound felt louder. Every shadow felt deliberate.
By morning, she was exhausted but sharper.
Fear had a way of doing that.
She arrived at the arena earlier than usual, hoping the quiet would steady her nerves. It didn’t. The building felt awake already, humming with something restless and alert, like it was holding its breath.
She scanned in, nodded at security, and moved quickly toward the analysis room.
That was when she noticed it.
The door to her office was slightly open.
