Three days after the disclosure, the corridor did not feel new anymore. It felt adjusted. Not stable in a perfect way, just steady enough to keep moving. The panic from the meeting had not fully left, but it had lowered into something quieter. People worked again, but they watched each other more.
Carriers who stayed returned slowly. Not all at once. Some routes came back online. Some stayed frozen. The system accepted both states without breaking.
Elena sat at her desk earlier than usual. She did not speak much that morning. Reports were already waiting. Reduced schedules. Revised routes. Risk summaries. Nothing surprising anymore, just consequences still settling.
Alexander entered without knocking.
He placed a sealed package on the table.
No greeting.
No warning.
Elena looked at it.
"What is that?" she asked.
"It came through secured legal drop," he said.
She did not touch it yet.
"From who?"
Alexander shook his head once.
"The firm name doesn't exist anymore."
