His grip tightened around the phone.
His last clear memory before everything had shifted was… what? The room? The door? The choice?
Or had it been before that?
His thoughts raced, trying to stitch together the fragments.
Then another message came.
**Go to the park.**
Jude hesitated.
But then, as if his body had already decided before his mind could catch up, he found himself moving.
The streets blurred around him as he walked. The city felt both familiar and distant, like a memory he hadn't visited in a long time. No one seemed to notice him, as if he were just another passerby in the grand scheme of their lives.
When he reached the park, the sun was beginning its slow descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was cooler here, carrying the scent of grass and earth. Children played in the distance, laughter echoing through the space.
Jude scanned the area.
At first, nothing stood out.
