The Midnight Pawnshop was eerily quiet as Wei stepped inside, the door creaking shut behind him like a final farewell. The familiar warmth of the shop felt foreign now, overshadowed by the emptiness that enveloped him. Each step toward the room he shared with Mei Lan felt like walking through a fog of despair. He paused, hand hovering over the doorknob, memories of laughter and whispered secrets flooding back.
With a deep breath, he pushed the door open, and the sight that greeted him twisted the knife deeper into his heart. The room was just as they had left it—Mei Lan's things scattered about, remnants of their shared moments now tainted with loss. The bed was unmade, the blankets rumpled as if she had just been there, waiting for him to return.
