The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the
precinct as Cole sat at his desk, staring blankly at the paperwork
in front of him. The hum of the fluorescent lights above was a
constant reminder of the reality he was trying to escape. His
heart felt heavy, burdened by the weight of the choices he had
made. The conversation with Kali replayed in his mind, each word
echoing like a haunting refrain. He had never intended to hurt her,
but now, as he sat alone, he couldn't shake the feeling that he
had made a monumental mistake. “Hey, Cole,” Julien said, breaking through the fog of Cole’s thoughts as he approached with a stack of files. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Everything okay?”
“Just... thinking,” Cole replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite
reach his eyes
