Chapter 7: The Crack in the Mask

Michael has figured it out.

The room was silent, heavy with secrets. As the sun dipped behind the roofline, a sense of inevitability settled over everything. I watched Michael close his hand around the glass bead, his breath coming slow and steady. He looked out the window, face reflected in the glass, and for a moment I thought—maybe, just maybe—he could see me standing there, waiting.