Moonlight quietly poured through the bedroom window at Mars Residency.
The silver light reflected across the wooden floor before reaching the edge of the bed.
Outside...
The city had long fallen asleep.
Only the occasional breeze rustled the trees beyond the balcony.
Inside the room...
Chloe sat against the headboard.
She hadn't slept.
Not even for a minute.
A soft toy rested beside her while her phone remained in both hands.
The screen lit up again.
She typed.
"Did you eat properly?"
She stared at the words.
A few seconds later...
Backspace.
The message disappeared.
She sighed softly.
Another attempt.
"I hope you're safe..."
Again...
She erased every word.
The empty chat window stared back at her.
For nearly half an hour...
She repeated the same cycle.
Typing.
Reading.
Deleting.
Never pressing send.
Her thoughts refused to settle.
Every possibility filled her mind.
Had he eaten?
Was he resting?
Was he alright?
