The next day….
Morning in Dawn House did not begin with birds. It began with servants moving trays, keys jingling, ledger books being carried like sacred objects, and Elena's footsteps cutting through the hall like a commander inspecting a battlefield. The mansion was awake before Sekhmet fully opened his eyes. That was how it had always been. Dawn House never truly slept. It only shifted between quiet work and loud work.
Sekhmet sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the sunlit curtains for a long moment, letting the light remind him that he was not in a jungle anymore.
His mind tried to drag him back anyway.
He exhaled slowly and tightened his fingers once, grounding himself in the present. Today was not about survival in the wild. Today was about survival in the city, and the city hunted with smiles.
A soft knock came.
Knock… knock…
