The cold winter breeze whistled through the quiet streets, carrying with it the faint scent of snow. The once-bustling marketplace had fallen silent as shopkeepers shuttered their stores for the night. Only the faint neon glow of a nearby 24x7 convenience store remained, a lone beacon of light in the growing darkness.
Inside, Mira Fernandez finished counting the register for her shift, her hands cold despite the store’s modest heating. She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. Her replacement was late again.
The bell above the door jingled as Daniel, her co-worker, finally strolled in, a sheepish grin plastered across his face. He was bundled in a thick jacket, his hands stuffed in his pockets as if the cold were a mere inconvenience.
“You’re late, Daniel,” Mira snapped, her frus
