9:03 a.m. — Ravenhill Church Basement
The air felt colder than it should have. Dust floated in shafts of morning light filtering through broken panes overhead. Everything was still — as if the building itself was holding its breath.
Amara sat at the edge of the old pulpit stage, elbows on her knees, hands tight together.
Across from her stood Kael and Veris — strangers by name, but disturbingly familiar in presence.
“You didn’t come for a rescue,” Amara said finally. Her voice was low, steady.
Kael’s face remained unreadable. “No.”
“You came because Elise is dead.”
“We came,” Veris cut in, “because you’re still alive.”
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9:06 a.m. — Echoes of Trust
Damon stood nearby, leaning against a broken pillar. He hadn’t looked at anyone in several minutes, not even Amara. The photo Kael
