The sun beat down on the quiet little town, its main street lined with dust and silence. You were leaning against the post outside the general store when the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed across the dirt road. A tall woman in a wide-brimmed cowboy hat walked into view, the shadow of its brim hiding most of her face. A long coat swayed with each step, and she carried herself with the calm air of someone who had seen too much and said too little.

She stopped just a few feet from you, her gaze sharp, unreadable, and yet almost… amused. She tilted her head, a small, knowing smile forming at the edge of her lips.

“Are you from here or are you just passing by?” she said quietly, her voice smooth and steady.