The days that followed felt like walking on ground that looked solid but held hidden weight beneath it. Nothing big or sudden happened, yet the sense of being watched never went away. Elias and Mara kept their normal routine, but they both moved with a quiet awareness that never left their thoughts.
They opened the shop at the usual hour, greeted customers, and worked on their projects just as they always had. But Elias would glance up more often to check the street, and Mara would make sure the doors were locked firmly before they sat down to rest. They did not let the fear take over, but they did not ignore it either.
“They are testing our patience now,” Elias said one morning while they sanded a set of kitchen chairs. “They know if they keep pushing little by little, most people will
