Part I- Dawn on the Runway
The jet touched down through a blush of low‑level fog, wheels kissing the runway with a tired hiss. Beyond the tarmac, New York sprawled like an awakening animal…grey, restless, alive.
Inside, the cabin had lost its protective hush. News drones hovered along the outer perimeter, their red sensors flickering in morning haze. The world already knew she had landed.
Evelyn delayed unbuckling for a moment. Her reflection in the window looked unrecognizable: soot‑stained, hair pinned back in functional defiance, eyes that hadn’t truly slept.
“Welcome home,” Adrian said from across the aisle. “If home still applies.”
She exhaled through half a smile. “Home is just geography before the first headline hits.”
Luca powered up his portable rig, still drowsy from the se
