Brett hummed to himself, his footsteps light as he skipped through the quiet office hallways of Cognito. A plastic grocery bag swung from his hand, the contents rustling. His grin was wide, practically glowing with that kind of early-morning energy only caffeine—or sheer insanity—could fuel. As if 5 a.m. were the perfect time to be at work.

"Great morning! 5 a.m.—perfect timing," he said to no one in particular, chuckling at his own voice. He snapped his fingers absently. The sound echoed faintly as he moved toward the office, feeling oddly proud of himself.

But then he slowed, his eyes catching the light still on in the office ahead. Strange. Everyone else was probably still in bed, blissfully unaware of the chaos he was already stirring up. He frowned, curiosity creeping in. Why was someone else up this early?