I sighed heavily as we left ATL Empire. Carol sensed my mood and offered to drive. I handed her the car keys without a second thought and got into the car.

As I looked at the building through the car window, I smiled bitterly. Its existence felt almost like a mirage to me, something that might vanish at any moment. It was possible that I was just a silly presence from the start, or maybe even just a shield.

Back at the office, I was in low spirits. Carol kept the staff away from me and left m