Reese’s POV
WELCOME TO CHICAGO VORTEX, SERENYA LOPES.
I must have read it a hundred times, each word replaying over and over until they start to sound strange. Serenya Lopes. My real name. A name I buried. How could they even know it?
It’s almost noon now, though it feels like time doesn’t move in this place. I sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the untouched plate of food on the table. A woman had brought it in earlier, smiling politely, saying, “Dinner, ma’am.” I thanked her, but the moment she left, my appetite vanished.
Now, the food’s cold. I don’t even remember what she said after that. My mind’s too tangled, jumping between thoughts that refuse to quiet down.
I’ve been in Chicago for less than a day, and already, I can feel something heavy in the air. Like this place carrie
