LUCA
By the time Darrel and I finally reached town, night had already settled in fully. The storm clouds hung low in the sky, heavy and restless, as though they were threatening to break open at any second. The streets were quiet in a way that felt unnatural and almost eerie. Every shop we passed was locked tight, with their metal shutters pulled down like the town had gone to sleep hours ago.
It must've been because of the storm.
We drove slowly, scanning both sides of the road, hoping, almost praying, to find somewhere, anywhere, that still had its lights on.
Then we saw it.
A small laundry shop, its windows glowing warmly against the dark street. The hum of machines drifted faintly through the glass, and for the first time since we left the training facility, we felt a flicker of r
