I sat hunched over my drink, the dim light of the pub casting shadows across the wooden bar. The air reeked of firewhiskey and stale wood, the hum of low conversation blending with the occasional clink of glass. I had told myself I’d stop at one, maybe two, but somewhere along the way, my usual restraint had become nothing more than a fleeting thought. The alcohol burned as it slid down my throat, warming me from the inside, dulling the constant weight pressing against my chest. But it didn’t take the edge off the loneliness—the kind that had settled into me like a shadow, never fully leaving.

I heard the creak of a seat beside me. Someone else. Probably just another passing face, no reason to pay attention. But then… I caught it. The faintest trace of something floral, warm. My eyes flickered to the side, just for a moment. She was sitting there, a woman, striking in a way that made her impossible to ignore.