Ethan Gray woke with a start, though his mind felt remarkably clear. The grogginess that usually clung to him like a morning mist was absent, replaced by a refreshing sharpness. He realized he had forgotten to close the window the night before, and he hadn't even bothered with the air conditioning. It had been a wise mistake. A gentle breeze, filtered through the thick canopy of leaves outside, drifted into the room, carrying the crisp, earthy scent of the garden. It was cool, bordering on chilly, a rare mercy in the humid climate of Riverport.
He reached for his phone on the nightstand. The screen flickered to life: 6:30 AM.
For a few minutes, Ethan simply lay there, staring up at the ceiling. The morning light was just beginning to reclaim the room, casting long, pale shadows across th
