Ethan hugged his backpack tighter as he slipped out of the apartment door, the cool morning air hitting him immediately.
He pressed himself against the wall, peering down the street. Empty. For now.
He moved quickly, silently, his oversized hoodie shielding him from prying eyes.
The facemask covered the lower half of his face, hiding his features just enough to avoid recognition.
Every shadow became a potential cover; every passerby a threat.
A gust of wind lifted the edge of his hoodie, and he tugged it down, glancing back at the apartment building.
Gabriel wasn't there. He wasn't coming.
Relief flickered in his chest, mixed with the thrill of doing something hidden.
Turning the corner, he adjusted his stride, stepping lightly over cracks in the sidewalk.
He imagined the street cameras and his father's men, calculating the safest path. Quick, quiet, unnoticed—that was the plan.
