By 9:30 AM, the plane touched down on a local runway, still within the heart of Paris. Luca carefully removed his earpiece, the music so loud he could still hear it faintly outside the buds.
The pilot of the compact plane had announced their imminent descent, and Luca quickly obeyed the instructions, his eyes fixed on the patchwork of the city that grew closer with every passing second.
Moments later, the plane's tires kissed the tarmac with a rumble, followed by a gradual roll down the runway to a final, hissing stop.
As the engines powered down, Luca exhaled deeply, reminding himself he was in a different city now. For some reason, the landing in Paris felt different... Was it truly the city's romanticized allure, or was it just his imagination?
Two flight attendants approached, addressing all of them, including the Hawthorne officials. The officials numbered four, bringing the total number of passengers to seven, including Luca, Mallow, and Sara.
