The alarm rang sharply at 2:30 AM.
Ethan Cole groaned, his hand blindly reaching out from under the blanket until his fingers found his phone. He silenced it without even opening his eyes, letting out a long breath as he stared into the darkness of his room.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then reality settled in.
"Flight," he muttered.
His eyes opened.
The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of streetlights slipping through the curtains. Everything looked normal—his desk cluttered with papers, his laptop half-closed, a cup of coffee he had forgotten to finish hours ago.
Nothing unusual.
Just another early morning.
Or rather… a very late night.
Ethan slowly pushed himself up, running a hand through his hair. His body felt heavy, like it always did when he had to wake up at odd hours.
"Who even schedules flights at 5 AM…" he grumbled.
Still, he had no choice.
Work trip.
Mandatory.
By 2:40 AM, he was out of bed.
The routine was simple—shower, brush, get dressed. He moved through it without thinking, his mind still half-asleep.
The cold water helped.
By the time he stepped out of the bathroom, he felt a little more alive.
At 3:05 AM, he stood in front of his mirror, adjusting his jacket.
Black jeans. Grey shirt. Dark jacket.
Simple.
He checked himself once.
Then again.
"Good enough," he said.
His suitcase was already packed from the night before.
Laptop.
Documents.
Clothes.
Everything in place.
Ethan grabbed the handle and paused.
For no clear reason.
He stood there for a second longer than necessary, staring at the door.
"…Let's go."
The cab arrived at 3:15 AM.
Right on time.
Ethan stepped outside, locking his apartment behind him. The air was cool and quiet, the city still asleep.
He placed his suitcase in the trunk and got in.
"Airport?" the driver asked.
"Yeah."
The car pulled away.
The streets were nearly empty.
Streetlights passed one after another, casting brief flashes of light inside the car. A few shops were still open, mostly for night workers, but otherwise, the city felt… paused.
Ethan leaned his head back, staring out the window.
This was the part he hated most.
The silence.
Too early for energy.
Too late for comfort.
"You traveling for work?" the driver asked.
"Yeah," Ethan replied.
"Early flight."
"Unfortunately."
The driver chuckled lightly. "Better than delays."
Ethan smiled faintly. "Yeah… I guess."
They reached the airport around 3:45 AM.
It was more active than Ethan expected.
Passengers moved in and out, dragging luggage, checking phones, talking quietly among themselves.
Normal.
Everything felt completely normal.
Inside, Ethan checked the display board.
Flight NX-417
Gate: C12Departure: 5:00 AMStatus: On Time
"Good," he muttered.
No delays. No issues.
Security was smooth.
Check-in was quick.
Within twenty minutes, Ethan was already at his gate.
Gate C12 was moderately crowded.
Not too full, not too empty.
Just enough people to feel like a regular flight.
Families. Business travelers. A couple arguing quietly near the corner.
Nothing unusual.
Ethan sat down, placing his suitcase beside him.
He pulled out his phone.
Scrolled.
Nothing interesting.
Same old news.
Same old notifications.
At 4:25 AM, boarding was announced.
"Passengers for Flight NX-417, we will begin boarding shortly."
Finally.
Ethan stood up, stretching slightly before joining the line.
People moved forward slowly, handing over boarding passes, stepping into the aircraft one by one.
Inside the plane, the air felt cool and controlled.
Soft lighting. Clean seats.
Standard.
Ethan found his seat.
17A. Window.
Perfect.
He placed his bag in the overhead compartment and sat down.
The seat was comfortable enough.
He fastened his seatbelt and leaned back.
A man took the seat beside him.
"Morning," the man said.
Ethan nodded. "Morning."
"You heading far?"
"Just a few hours," Ethan replied.
"Same here."
That was the end of the conversation.
Passengers continued boarding.
Flight attendants moved efficiently, helping people with luggage, guiding them to seats.
Everything was running smoothly.
Exactly how a normal flight should.
At 4:55 AM, the cabin doors closed.
The announcement came shortly after.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Flight NX-417…"
The usual speech followed.
Safety instructions.
Seatbelts.
Emergency exits.
Ethan barely listened.
The plane began to move.
Slowly at first.
Then steadily.
Ethan looked out the window.
The runway lights stretched ahead, glowing in long straight lines.
The sky was still dark.
No sunrise yet.
The engines roared.
The plane accelerated.
Faster.
Faster.
And then—
Lift.
The ground disappeared beneath them.
The city lights shrank into tiny dots.
The plane climbed smoothly into the sky.
Ethan exhaled.
"Finally."
Everything was normal.
Calm.
Quiet.
Safe.
He closed his eyes.
Just for a moment.
He didn't know…
That in a few hours—
Everything would go wrong.
(End of Chapter 1)