Part I – Altitude Silence
The snow‑lined ridges dissolved beneath them, clouds forming slow whirlpools of light. The jet held steady above the Alpine range, its engines a muted hum beneath slippers of air. Inside, the cabin lights dimmed to a low amber glow…the kind of glow meant for exhaustion and secret thoughts.
Evelyn sat by the window, eyes on a world that looked deceptively clean from above. Miles below, Geneva was still smouldering…the reflection of glass and guilt. She hadn’t spoken since takeoff. Adrian occupied the seat across, watching the condensation on the window more than he watched her. Every few minutes, he glanced toward Luca in the rear cabin, sleeping under light sedation.
The silence perched between them like a living thing.
“He’s out there,” she said at last.
Adr
