CASSANDRA’S POV
The taxi's engine hummed beneath us, steady but not comforting. I sat beside Dylan in the backseat, my arms folded tightly over my chest, as if they could hold back the anxiety pressing into me like a lead weight.
Outside the window, the world was still wrapped in shadows… streets dimly lit by flickering lamps, storefronts closed, the occasional dog crossing empty intersections like a ghost. The early morning air felt too still, like something was about to snap.
I exhaled slowly, trying to quiet the questions screaming in my head.
Why are we going to the airport?
I don’t even have a passport. I never prepared for this. Not mentally, not physically. Whatever this plan is, it isn’t mine.
I shifted slightly and glanced sideways at Dylan. His jaw was locked tight. One
