Chapter 1: Introduction
After three flights, a monstrous layover, and six hours of sleep, Marisa finally landed in Bangkok. Not that she planned to sleep so soon; her internal clock had never quite aligned with the rest of the world. She stepped off the plane and into a whirlwind of warm, stifling air cloaked in a haze she had never breathed. A stench she couldn't describe greeted her nostrils, but somehow, it intrigued her.
An hour passed, and she found herself in a taxi hurdling down the highway.
The driver asked her if she wanted the metered fare, to which she acquiesced. She watched as the numbers climbed, but it didn't bother her. The city bled into her senses, and every corner stole another piece of her.
The hotel room in Bangkok was modest, but it felt like paradise for Marisa. She sighed in relief, tossing her luggage by the bed, and took a moment to absorb the silence that she shared with no one.