The air felt unusually heavy as Luke made his way through the cobblestone streets that morning. A strange stillness—like the calm before a storm—made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. The usual hum of life in Admiral seemed offbeat as if the city had woken with a shiver running through its spine. People were out and about, but their footsteps were slower, and their conversations were subdued, drifting like the wind carried with caution. Luke noticed it right away—the nervous glances exchanged, the murmurs travelling between groups huddled at corners or market stalls.
He tightened the strap of his satchel, trying to dismiss the unease prickling his senses, but it gnawed at him. Something had shifted. And whatever it was, it wasn't good. His instincts were screaming.
