It was one of those sticky evenings in the heart of Kaishi City-a night when the smog blurred the skyline, neon signs buzzing faintly in the heat. The city never truly slept, but this part of town did seem particularly restless tonight. Not that it mattered. I had my own demons to wrestle with.
My name is Ruth, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this city, it’s that secrets don’t stay buried for long. Not mine, and certainly not anyone else’s.
I leaned against the counter in my small convenience store, absently flicking through the receipts from earlier on in the day. It wasn't much, but the store was mine-my little slice of independence in a city that did its best to swallow you whole. The fluorescent lights above me buzzed softly while the clock on the wall crawled toward midnigh
