ALDRIC
I stepped outside because I needed air. Real air. Not the recycled kind that circulated through the estate's halls carrying whispers and lies and the stench of paranoia that I couldn't seem to shake off anymore.
The grounds were quiet. Peaceful even. The kind of peaceful that felt too good to be true. Like the calm before a storm that everyone knew was coming but still pretended not to see.
Because... Well... Ignorance was bliss.
I walked along the stone path that wound through the gardens. My hands were in my pockets. My shoulders were loose. To anyone watching I probably looked relaxed. Like a man simply enjoying the weather and taking a moment to himself.
The truth was different. Starkly different.
This felt like a last hurrah. A final breath before everything went to hell. Before I had to make the call that would either save me or destroy me. Before I had to decide if this game was worth playing or if I should just cut my losses and run.
My phone buzzed.
