He hesitated for a moment, then dropped what looked like cutting tools and raised his hands.
Ramírez arrived shortly after and confirmed the situation was under control. As officers detained the man, he looked back at me and mouthed, “Too late.”
At the same time, my phone buzzed again with another message telling me to check my apartment immediately.
We rushed back toward the city while police secured the storage unit. My thoughts were racing because I did not know what had already happened at home.
When I arrived at Orion Arc headquarters the next morning, I felt exhausted and alert at the same time. The building looked calm and professional, but I no longer trusted appearances.
Priya met me at security and brought me into a controlled meeting room. Neil was already there, and he greeted me with a quiet concern.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I answered, “I am here and I am ready to handle this.”
Priya explained that we would verify my identity using a secure process before giving me access to anything important.
Neil said softly, “I hope this does not define your entire start here.”
I replied, “I just want things to be real again.”