The city did not announce the storm when it arrived. There was no thunder, no warning siren, no dramatic collapse of the sky. It came quietly—through emails, market fluctuations, and a single sealed envelope placed on Alyssa’s desk before sunrise.

She stood alone in her office, the glass walls still dark with the reflection of the city lights fading into morning. The building was silent in that way only powerful places were before the world woke up—quiet, tense, expectant.

The envelope was heavy. Thick paper. Foreign stamp.

She already knew.

Alyssa didn’t open it immediately. She poured herself coffee she wouldn’t drink and stood by the window, watching the city...