Naomi’s Pov

We didn’t leave like people going to war.

No sirens. No rush. No speeches.

Two cars. Separate routes. Windows down just enough to hear the city breathe.

Cassian drove. He always did when things mattered. He said it was a habit, but I knew better. It was controlled. It was focused. It was him putting himself between danger and everyone else without saying it out loud.

The city looked normal. People walking. Shops opening. A man arguing with his phone at a bus stop. I watched it all slide past the windshield and felt the familiar disconnect settle in. Like we were moving through a different layer of...