Chapter 1: Chapter 1
The city was alive with a pulsating energy that could only be felt in the dead of night. Neon lights flickered like fireflies against the dark sky, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the wet streets. The air was thick with the scent of rain and exhaust fumes, a symphony of car horns and distant sirens providing the soundtrack. This was where I belonged, or so I told myself. The city never slept, and neither did I.
I stood under the awning of the 24-hour diner, nursing a cup of coffee that was long past cold.