Falon's office was too quiet. The only sounds were the hum of the air conditioning and his low, tense voice on the phone.
He'd been making calls for over an hour. Each one was shorter than the last.
"I understand," he said, his voice flat. "Thank you for your time." He set the phone down with a careful precision that spoke volumes.
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the city. My city. The thought was still strange, but the tightness in my chest felt like ownership. Their problems were becoming my problems.
"Another one?" I asked quietly.
"The Orion Bank. They're 'pausing' our line of credit." He ran a hand over his face. "The Volkan poison is spreading."
From the large leather chair in the corner, Billy let out a long, dramatic sigh. His school tablet was dark on his lap. "I'm bored," he announced. "There's no one here. I'm the only kid. Everyone else is at school."
