The room was quiet in a way that didn’t feel right. Not peaceful. The kind of silence that makes your chest feel tight, like the air itself is holding its breath.

Amelia stood near the window, arms crossed, staring down at the city lights. Normally that view calmed her it always had but not tonight. Tonight it felt far away, almost unreal. Like something she couldn’t reach anymore.

Behind her, Alexander was pacing. Back and forth. The sound of his shoes against the floor started to get ...