The world outside had barely begun to stir when Alexander stepped out into the cold morning air. The horizon was brushed with the faint light of dawn a pale silver bleeding through low clouds, painting the landscape in muted hues of blue and ash. He took a deep breath, the crisp air filling his lungs, grounding him in a way nothing else could. For the first time in weeks, he didn’t feel like he was suffocating under the weight of unspoken truths.

Inside, the others were already stirring. ...