Jayden's eyes snapped open to the dim gray light of predawn filtering through his curtains. He hadn't slept well… he hadn't really slept at all, if he was being honest with himself.
He sat up, running both hands through his hair with a frustrated groan. Two days. It had only been two days since everything fell apart with Cassie, and it felt like a lifetime. The guilt sat in his chest like a stone, heavy and immovable.
And then there was Aileen.
Jayden swung his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet touching the cool floor. His mind drifted to yesterday's training session, to that final conversation by the gates.
Her warning echoed in his memory, spoken with such casual certainty that it had sent chills down his spine. And it wasn't just the words… it was everything about Aileen that didn't add up.
