Morning sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Hart Group's main office, slicing across the glass table like fine blades of gold.Marrin stood there with a cup of coffee in her hand, staring down at the city that had once felt like an enemy and now looked more like a living organism—chaotic, but predictable if you knew its rhythm.
It had been a week since the trial ended.The world outside had moved on, but inside her, something fundamental had shifted.The noise in her head—the flickers, the glitches, the endless self-interrogations—hadn't vanished completely.But they no longer ruled her.
She could hear the static hum at times, faint like a radio signal between channels.Instead of fear, it reminded her to stay alert.To stay alive.
Liam entered, tablet in hand. "The board'
