#Chapter 40: The Quiet After

The final day of the summit dawned under a brittle sky, the storm having passed in the night, leaving behind puddles that mirrored the gray light overhead. Inside the compound, the atmosphere was no less charged. Council members moved through the halls with clipped footsteps and hushed tones, the weight of the impending vote pressing down like fog, heavy and all-consuming. I started my morning in the logistics office, shoulder to shoulder with Emma and the summit aides as we double-checked delegate badges, reconfigured seating for last-minute arrivals, and looked for any irregularities. The press was corralled to the designated wing, their excitement buzzing louder than the security scanners. It all had to run flawlessly. I barely had time to breathe between signing clearances and fielding quick, whispered questions from aides who looked like they hadn’t slept. Emma handed me an updated attendance list. I scanned it once, twice—something didn’t track. “Serena Linwood’s missing,”