Chapter song: So Far Away - Dire Straits
The front doors were fitted with a sleek biometric scanner, its dark surface reflecting the light as Lucien approached. A soft chime sounded, followed by a faint mechanical click.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED.
The locks disengaged. The doors slid open.
Kenneth followed Lucien inside.
He'd been here enough times to know the routine. He slipped off his shoes near the entrance and reached for the house slippers kept in the built-in cabinet, exchanging them for his running shoes.
Lucien did the same. The house was quiet.
Not the sterile, oppressive quiet of an empty building, but the familiar stillness of a place that had settled into itself. Sunlight streamed through the enormous windows, illuminating the cream walls and the dark metal accents running along the ceiling. The polished floors reflected the soft glow of the recessed lighting, while a few carefully chosen pieces of furniture gave the space a lived-in quality.
