Morning didn’t feel like morning.
It felt like… continuation.
Emma opened her eyes slowly.
No rush.
No panic.
No thoughts crashing in.
Just—
weight.
Quiet.
Still.
Her phone lay beside her.
Screen dark.
But something about it felt… loud.
She didn’t touch it immediately.
Didn’t reach for it like she usually would.
Because she already knew—
something had changed.
And she wasn’t ready to see how.
Eventually—
her fingers moved.
She unlocked it.
Notifications flooded the screen.
Messages.
Missed calls.
Mentions.
Unknown numbers.
Her brows pulled together slightly.
That wasn’t normal.
Not even close.
A message from Maya sat at the top.
Emma, please tell me you’re awake.
Another.
Don’t panic. Just come in.
A third.
We’ll handle it.
Emma stared at the screen.
No
