Breaking Point

Chapter 1

Lucy lay motionless in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her alarm clock rang for the third time, a piercing noise she had learned to tune out. She didn't want to move—didn't feel capable of it.

The weight in her chest had become a constant companion, a tightness that gripped her with a ferocity that threatened to crush her every morning.

Even now, the oppressive feeling spread through her limbs, rooting her to the bed like an anchor. It had been weeks, maybe months, since she'd woken up without this paralyzing heaviness.

Her mind raced through the day ahead, cataloging the mundane duties that awaited her: patrol, reports, endless calls from citizens whose problems felt small and distant. Each task loomed over her like an insurmountable mountain, and the mere thought of facing it made her feel even more exhausted.

She used to love this job. She remembered the passion, the sense of purpose. Now, it was just a grind, a charade of going through the motions.

Pretending to be okay had become a second job, one that drained her even more than her shifts at the precinct. Each morning, she painted on a fake smile, wore it like the armor she didn't even believe in anymore.

But today, the act felt like too much. She pulled the blankets tighter around herself, wishing she could sink into the mattress and disappear.

A soft knock echoed from the door, breaking the silence.

"Lucy?" Tim's voice was tentative, gentle, but there was an edge to it, a concern that cut through her fog. He had been patient—too patient. "You up?"

Lucy's body tensed beneath the covers. Tim always knew when something was wrong. He knew her too well, understood the signs even when she tried her best to hide them. But she couldn't face him, couldn't let him see her like this.

Her body, heavy with a mix of fatigue and self-loathing, refused to move. It was easier to stay hidden, easier to pretend for a few moments longer that she didn't have to get up, didn't have to face the world or the reality of her spiraling mental state.

"I'm coming," she mumbled from under the covers, her voice muffled and empty. She wasn't sure if Tim even heard her. The words felt hollow, just like the version of herself she had become.