Chapter 4

Adrian staggered back from the mirror, his breath ragged. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. His reflection was normal. His own face, weary and pale, stared back at him. “It’s just stress,” he murmured. “Nothing more.” But the incident lingered in his mind. The next morning, he checked his phone and felt his stomach drop—he had missed an entire day. The last thing he remembered was coming home the night before. Now, the clock told him it was the evening of the next day. A whole twenty-four hours… gone. His voicemail had a single new message. A slow, deliberate whisper: “I told you, Doctor. We’re connected.” Adrian clenched his fists. He had to confront Simon.