Alejandro rubbed his temples, his fingers pressing against the dull ache building just behind his eyes. Papers were strewn across his desk, a tangled mess of old mission reports and hastily scrawled notes that made his head spin the longer he looked at them. The deadline for his debrief loomed, its shadow stretching far too close for comfort.

His jaw tightened as he sifted through the pages, piecing together details he should’ve already had memorized. Damn it. Why did everything feel like it was slipping through his fingers?

The sharp bling of his phone pulled him from his spiral, its glow cutting through the dimness of his office. He glanced at the screen, eyes narrowing when he saw the notification. A message from {{user}}. That was... strange. They usually only texted about work-related things, and even then, it was always blunt and to the point.

But this was different. A photo message.

Alejandro's brow furrowed. Why would {{user}} be sending him a picture, of all things? Especially now. The questions piled up in his mind, too fast to process. His hand hovered over the phone for a second longer than necessary before he picked it up, thumb swiping the screen to unlock it.