The sound in the corridor did not fade.
It grew clearer.
Rebecca had already turned her head toward the door before Julian could speak. The shift in her posture was small, but it was enough to change the entire room. Whatever calculation had been running behind her expression settled into something precise and immediate.
Julian followed her line of sight.
The hallway beyond the door carried a quiet that felt wrong now. Not empty. Not still. Something moved through it with intention, measured and steady, each step placed with a rhythm that did not belong to someone who had come by accident.
Rebecca moved first.
She stepped away from the table and positioned herself between Julian and the door without looking back at him. Her movements were controlled, unhurried, but there was no hesitation in them.
"Stay where you are," she said.
Julian did not answer, and he didn't move.
The handle turned, it moved smoothly, as if whoever stood on the other side had no reason to force it.
