**LILA POV**
I leave before sunrise.
Not dramatic.
Intentional.
The sky is still dark enough that the trees blur together as I drive, their shapes more suggestion than detail. The packhouse lights are off when I pass the turnoff. No sentries. No last-minute interruptions. No one standing in the road pretending it’s coincidence. I take that as proof I planned this properly.
I showered quickly. Not hot, not cold. Just enough to wake myself up without lingering in it like I usually do when I’m stalling. Brushed my teeth with the light off, mirror fog-free for once. I didn’t want to see my face while I did this. Faces invite second thoughts. I dressed in clean jeans, a worn hoodie, boots that have already seen too much dirt to care about a little more. I packed light. Too light, maybe.
L
