The city had never felt this quiet before.
Even with the usual buzz of people moving, talking, and traffic humming in the background, something felt off. Like the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
Dr. Valeria Kane and I walked side by side down the crowded street, though I wasn’t sure where we were heading. She hadn’t said a word since we left my apartment, just kept moving like she had a destination in mind. Her face was unreadable, her jaw tight.
The silence stretched between us until I finally snapped.
"Are you gonna tell me where we're going, or do I just follow you around like a lost puppy?"
Kane didn’t slow down. "Watch."
I frowned. "Watch what?"
Then I saw it.
A man walking ahead of us stopped mid-step. Not a slow pause, not hesitation—he
