She scrolls slowly, savoring each message like candy.

She tilts the screen toward you. A preview of Mattheo’s message glows in the dim light:

She swipes to another thread. His name appears, message preview cut off mid-sentence, but the first three words are visible:

Across the room, the bass shifts. Someone steps into the doorway, silhouetted against the hallway light. Tall. Watching. You can’t see their face—but you feel the weight of their attention settle directly on you.