The cold wind swept through the narrow streets of the city, weaving between towering skyscrapers and casting long shadows over the cracked pavement. Nathan Voss pulled his coat tighter around his chest as he made his way home, his mind a storm of thoughts that refused to quiet. His days had become a blur of meetings, deadlines, and the relentless pursuit of a promotion that, if he were honest, he wasn’t even sure he wanted anymore. He passed by the small park that he often avoided. Something about its quiet paths and bare trees unsettled him. It reminded him of a simpler time—of who he used to be before the world demanded more. Tonight, however, he stopped. His eyes lingered on the lone bench under the streetlamp, its light flickering like a dying flame. There was no one else around, only the faint rustle of leaves carried by the wind. Something in him stirred, an inexplicable pull he couldn’t ignore. Nathan sighed and sat down, burying his hands in his pockets to ward off the chill. For a moment, he let the silence wash over him, a reprieve from the noise of his life. And then, he heard it.