The morning was quiet and overcast, with soft gray clouds blanketing the sky. A gentle stillness lingered in the air, casting a muted light across the city as it slowly stirred awake.

Maya stood by her window for a moment, sipping a warm cup of tea as she watched the quiet hum of the street below. The calm after Anika’s birthday celebration was both a relief and a strange emptiness. Yesterday had been filled with laughter, balloons, and the sight of Anika’s glowing face—but today, it was back to reality.

She turned away from the window and placed her cup in the sink. The silence of her apartment pressed in...