Chapter 4: The Drainage of Whispers

Kai Cheng woke before dawn, the way he always did. The habit was drilled into him—years of raids, stakeouts, and sudden alarms. His body hit the floor before his mind caught up, hand reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. He stopped himself, breathing slow, letting the unfamiliar ceiling come into focus. Wood beams. Smoke stains. The faint smell of herbs and tea.