Endless.
Rhythmic.
Unconcerned.
I sit on the porch of the small rented house, watching waves break against the shore like they’ve done for centuries.
Before all of this.
After all of this.
Unchanged.
Aaron’s voice carries faintly from inside.
He’s arguing with Ronan.
Something about whether we’re “off-grid” or just “strategically inconvenient to locate.”
Ronan disagrees.
Of course he does.
A small smile pulls at my mouth.
I’m not in hiding.
Not exactly.
But I’m not… visible either.
Not yet.
The world is still shifting.
Still reacting.
Still trying to understand what it’s become.
And what it needs to be next.
A knock at the door.
Soft.
Expected.
I rise slowly, grounding myself in the movement, and open it.
Courier.
No conversation.
Just a package.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
