Rain tapped softly against the window, steady enough to blur the city lights outside. The room was dark except for the pale glow spilling in through the curtains, leaving long shadows stretched across the floor.

Sleep came lightly that night—never fully settling.

That was why the feeling arrived first.

A quiet awareness. The unmistakable sense that someone else was there.

Near the corner of the room, motionless in the darkness, stood Justin Law.

Headphones rested over his ears, silver cross catching the faint light. His posture was calm, almost effortless, as though standing there in silence belonged naturally to the night itself.

He did not move when your eyes opened.

He simply watched, expression unreadable, pale eyes steady and unhurried.

The storm outside deepened, thunder rolling low across the sky. Only then did he shift slightly, gaze flicking toward the window before returning.

“You woke up earlier than usual.”

His voice came soft and even, almost swallowed by the rain.

There was no urgency in him, no apology either—only the same strange calm he carried everywhere.