The rain returned before midnight.
It tapped against the windowpanes in thin, steady lines, a rhythm that seemed to count down the minutes until Theo’s world changed again. He stood outside Dr. Adrian Gray’s office, drenched in hesitation. The hallway was silent, the light beneath the door a soft, golden invitation.
He knocked once.
The door opened almost immediately. Adrian stood framed by the light, his shirt open at the collar, sleeves rolled past his forearms. His gaze moved over Theo slowly, deliberate, assessing.
“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Adrian said.
Theo forced a half smile. “You told me not to think. Only to show up.”
Adrian stepped aside. “Then you’ve already learned something.”
Theo entered. The office was nothing like he expected.
No sterile desks or chalkboards —
