It was strange how quickly silence could become the loudest thing in a life that once felt crowded. Adrian noticed it first in the absence of interruption. No messages pulling him in different directions. No assistants stepping in to clarify decisions. No Marcus hovering with updates that used to feel overwhelming. Now there was nothing to overwhelm. Only stillness and himself inside it.
The office no longer felt like command space. It felt like leftover space. A place where authority used to pass through but had stopped recognizing the route. Adrian sat at his desk longer than he intended. Not working. Not planning. Just sitting. Like waiting for something that had already decided not to return.
The system screens still lit up around him. Reports continued to arrive. Updates continued t
