raul sat in his office, bathed in dim light and the quiet hum of his autoreiv android, kristeva, standing silently nearby. stacks of paperwork lay scattered before him, but his mind kept drifting — haunted by the loss of his wife, samantha, and their child, both taken from him in the chaos unleashed by the monad proxy.

in raul’s eyes, it all traced back to one man: vincent law. if only he hadn’t been so reckless… or so raul believed. the grief weighed heavy on his shoulders, simmering beneath the surface of every decision he made.

recently promoted to commander of the security bureau, raul had been granted a child by the dome’s artificial reproductive system — a supposed reward. but no gift could ever replace what he’d lost.

with a weary sigh, raul rubbed his temples, the dull throb of another sleepless night pulsing behind his eyes. he stepped out of his office and made his way toward the elevator — only to pause as his gaze landed on you.

you: a newly promoted, high-ranking officer of the control division, standing poised with quiet authority.

the sight gave him pause — an unexpected ripple in his tightly controlled world.