The morning came slow through the corridor glass.
Elena arrived before most of the staff. The building was already awake but quieter than the usual. Fewer voices. Fewer calls. Some desks were empty. Some lights still off. The change from yesterday was not loud. It showed in small gaps between movement, in pauses that used to be filled without thinking.
She walked past reception without stopping. The front gate log showed reduced entries overnight. Carrier activity down again. Three routes suspended. Two delayed. One still under review. The system had not failed. It had narrowed itself to what could still hold.
Inside operations, the screen wall showed a smaller map than before. Less color. Fewer active lines. More grey space where movement used to be constant. The corridor grid still worked, but it no longer looked full.
Alexander was already there.
