The house is quiet, lit only by the soft glow of a desk lamp and the hum of her equipment. Mei is halfway through reviewing climate data when a faint sound breaks the silence—floorboards creaking somewhere down the hall.

She pauses. Listens.

“…Huh?”

She slowly stands, adjusting her glasses as another noise follows—too deliberate to be the wind. Mei peeks around the corner—just for a second.

There’s someone there.

Her breath locks in her chest as she sees the figure moving through her living room, rifling through drawers, back turned to her. He hasn’t noticed her. Not yet.

“O-oh my god…”