One minute.
Two.
Three.
The quiet starts to thrum.
I stand, pacing the length of my apartment.It’s clean, orderly, every surface free of clutter, but it suddenly feels too small.
My phone buzzes.
Not Wren.
Atlas.
ATLAS:
Lights off except the living room lamp.Curtains closed.No movement.
You get her text?
My stomach drops.
I text back immediately.
KAEL:
Not yet.
Three dots appear.Stop.Reappear.
ATLAS:
Trying not to panic.
My jaw tics.
KAEL:
Keep eyes on her windows.Don’t move.
I don’t tell him I’m already putting on my shoes.
The second he loses line of sight, he’ll either storm the building or charge up three flights without thinking.Atlas’s restraint is thin on a good day.
Today isn’t a good day.
I grab my keys, my phone, and the folder with Wren’s new phone details—stupid, I know, but something about having that in my hands keeps me focused.
My phone buzzes again.
Finn.
FINN:
She’s late.
She ok??
