Naomi’s Pov

The world always feels different at two in the morning.

The sky looks heavier.

The air feels colder.

Even your heartbeat sounds louder, like it knows the night might take more than it gives back.

Cassian stood near the open armory locker, loading his gun with a precision that didn’t match the tension in his shoulders. Rubio leaned against the wall, checking comms, while Mara ran diagnostics on the feed.

No one was talking.

But everyone was thinking the same thing.

Tonight mattered.

I adjusted the strap on my vest, hands slightly unsteady. Cassian’s eyes caught the movement instantly. He didn’t say anything, but the look in his...