At dawn, the first light of a new day seeped into the room, casting away the shadows of the night. I rose, fueled by the clarity that only comes after a long night of contemplation. There was a new determination in my step, a certainty that had evaded me the previous day.

By the time Logan awoke, I was already dressed and ready. He found me in the kitchen, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the tense expectation hanging in the air. He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand.

“Logan,” I said, my voice steady and firm, “we need to talk.”