Jennifer didn't take the main hallway back.
She never did when her shift ended like this.
The sector had gone quiet in that late-cycle way—lights dimmed a fraction, movement thinning out, voices dropping into something more controlled.
She walked it alone anyway.
At the far end of the corridor, a camera tracked her for a second too long before slowly adjusting away, like it had been told she didn't need watching the same way others did.
That thought didn't make her smile.
It didn't do anything at all.
Her office door clicked open under her code.
Warm light spilled out, soft compared to the sterile glare outside.
Inside was exactly the same as always. Too ordered. Too intentional. Nothing out of place unless she allowed it.
Jennifer shut the door behind her and locked it.
The sound was final in a way most people in the sector never heard anything be.
She stood there a moment longer than necessary.
Not looking around.
Just still.
Then she moved.
