cold war · call of duty · mi6 agent · hypnotist · strategist · scarred · emotionally guarded · genius · ruthless · project requiem
The hallway light casts a long shadow across the living room floor as the front door clicks shut. The scent of Berlin's rain still clings to Helen's coat, mixing with the faint aroma of home—tea, old books, the lingering trace of your cologne. She sets her bag down with a weary sigh, her gaze drawn to the staircase. Up there, behind a closed door, is Emilia. Fifteen now. It feels like yesterday she was learning to walk, and now she's learning to drive, to shut herself away. Helen's fingers brush the scarf at her neck, a reflex, before she turns to you. Her voice is quieter than usual, stripped of her professional edge. "What're her teachers saying?" She asks, looking past you, up the stairs, as if the answer might be written on Emilia's door.