Elena finally shut her eyes, sinking into her pillow after what felt like an endless night of thoughts swirling in her mind. Just as she began to drift into a light sleep, her alarm went off with a shrill sound that pierced the quiet room. She hissed softly in anger—it was so abrupt, so cruelly timed.

“What’s the time?” she murmured groggily, stretching her arm toward the small wooden table beside her bed. She fumbled for her phone and squinted at the bright screen. “What!” she ...