The morning light didn’t look like light anymore. It crawled feebly through the curtains as if it didn't want to be seen, and it felt thin, almost shy. The echo of that word was still scratching somewhere behind my eyes as I slowly sat up, half-awake, half-broken.
Terminate
I tried to breathe normally. Tried to recall how to live mindlessly. The laptop was gone. Matteo must have taken it while I was asleep, or perhaps Damiano instructed him to do so. In any case, I didn't ask. To ask would mean to have seen something I shouldn't have.
It was chilly on the floor. I flinched when my feet touched it, but I got up anyway, went to the mirror, and saw a stranger blink back at me. My eyes appeared heavier and older. I brushed my hair with shaky fingers, too tired to find a brush. The small tre
