"Orion! Orion, wake up!"
The voice, soft yet urgent. It pierced the veil of sleep like a distant bell tolling through mist. Gentle, but firm. Concern laced every syllable, woven with threads of affection and unease.
Orion stirred, eyes fluttering open in the dim interior of the tent. Still gripped by the haze of slumber, he blinked at the silhouette leaning over him.
"M-Mom? What's going on?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
It was rare, almost unthinkable for her to rouse him during the night. This deviation from routine sent a jolt through him. Something was off. Something was wrong.
"I need you to listen to me, Orion," she said, her voice taut with restrained emotion.
He sat up straighter. "Why? What's happening?"
Her behaviour unsettled him more than the odd hour. She was calm, but it was the kind of calm one wore like armour. It wasn't natural.
"From this moment forward, you must run," she said, voice breaking on the last word. "Run and never look back. Do you understand me?"
