The morning sun hung low over the glass-paneled towers of Duskhaven City, casting long, jagged shadows across the asphalt as Dominic Mylod and Sienna Flynn navigated the early traffic. They were ostensibly on their way to the local farmers' market to pick up fresh produce for dinner, but the atmosphere in the car was thick with a jittery, nervous energy—the kind that usually precedes a life-altering event.
Sienna’s phone buzzed incessantly against the center console. She glanced at the caller ID and adjusted her hands on the steering wheel, her grip tightening. It was Alice Gross.
"Hello? Alice?" Sienna answered, hitting the speakerphone. "Is there an update?"
"Oh, Sienna, it’s me," Alice’s voice crackled through the Bluetooth system, sounding uncharacteristically strained and hesitant.
