The alley was quiet, except for the faint hum of the city beyond it. Streetlights flickered in and out, casting long, shifting shadows on the cracked pavement. The air smelled of damp concrete and old metal, a stark contrast to the weight pressing down on my chest.
Kane stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching me like I was a puzzle she was half-interested in solving.
"Try again," she said.
I exhaled slowly. My hands trembled at my sides.
I focused on the crushed soda can near my feet. The world seemed to shrink around it. The dull silver of the aluminum. The faded red logo. The jagged dent along one side.
Change.
The thought whispered through me, pulsing like something alive.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the can twitched. Metal bent, straightening itself out with a sl
