Daniel woke with a start. His heart thudded in his chest, a sharp rhythm cutting through the stillness. Something felt wrong. The house was silent — unnervingly so. No faint hum from the coffee maker, no quiet footsteps pacing the kitchen, no trace of the morning routine that once filled this place with life. Only silence. Heavy. Absolute.
He sat up abruptly, blinking through the pale morning light seeping between the curtains. The air felt stale, too still, as if time itself had stopped. He glanced at the clock — 8:12 a.m.
Late.
His breath caught. How? He never slept in, not on weekdays. Not ever. Especially not since his life began spiraling out of control. He snatched his phone from the nightstand, typed a quick message to his assistant:
Running late. Will be in later today.
His fi
