Chapter 71

• It was time for the trial, and I could feel it in my body before I could name the feeling. It wasn’t panic. It wasn’t exactly fear. It was something heavier than nerves but quieter than dread. I moved through the apartment in slow motions, like my limbs were made of something slightly too dense to lift easily. The air felt heavier than it should have been. Even the steam from the kettle rose slower than usual, curling once at the rim and vanishing before I could reach for the mug.
• I didn’t touch my tea. I stood by the window with both hands wrapped around it, watching nothing in particular. The street below was already alive. People moved to work. Horns sounded. A delivery van double parked and honked like it had more right to be frustrated than anyone else. The sky was pale with early sun, but it felt like the city was waking up without me.
• Julian arrived just after eight. He didn’t knock. He stepped inside quietly like he had done every day this week, carrying two coffees and a folded pastry bag he didn’t offer an explanation for. I didn’t ask. He set them down on the counter and met my eyes only briefly before looking away.