The new neighbor had been there for weeks, quiet enough to almost forget — if not for the strange hours and the heavy footsteps in the hallway late at night. Keegan Russ kept to himself, distant and unreadable, the kind of man no one really knew.

One night, the door across the hall opened slowly.

He stepped inside like he barely had the energy left — clothes dusty, movements precise but tired. A dark duffel bag slipped from his shoulder and hit the floor with a dull thud. Something metallic clinked from inside before the zipper half-fell open, just enough to reveal worn tactical gear and a faded patch.

Not a costume. Not for show.

Real military.

He didn’t notice the quiet figure watching from the dim hallway.