The steadiness did not disappear overnight.

It followed Violet into the next morning like a quiet current beneath still water. She woke before her alarm, not because of restlessness, but because her body felt aligned with the day ahead. There was no heaviness in her chest, no sharp anticipation pulling her forward. Instead, there was a subtle hum beneath her ribs, constant and composed.

She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting herself register it fully.

This was different from tension.

It was continuity.

She rose and moved through her apartment with deliberate ease. The sunlight filtering through her curtains felt softer today, less intrusive. She tied...