The streets of Glora buzzed below, but up here on the rooftop, the noise felt distant a murmur rather than a roar. I sat on the edge, legs dangling over the concrete, hands gripping the rough surface. My notebook rested on my lap, untouched. I didn't write. Not yet.
Loneliness wasn't new, but some mornings it hit sharper than others, like a cold wind slipping past the gaps in your hoodie. The city carried on, oblivious to the silent figure watching from above. People moved, shouted, bargained, laughed, fought, survived and I felt like an observer of a play I wasn't allowed to join.
A small movement caught my eye a street kid, maybe ten, darting past a vendor, snatching a coin, and disappearing into an alley. He didn't notice me. I didn't want him to. Some connections weren't worth making; some reputations weren't meant to be shared.
I traced the edges of my notebook with a finger. The pages were filled with fragments thoughts, sketches, things I didn't say out loud. Mom's advice echoed in my head: "Don't let the world rush you." But even at eighteen, the world had a way of moving faster than I could catch.
I thought of her again Mom, sitting in our small kitchen, kettle in hand, eyes soft but wary. She had her own battles, fought them in silence, and somehow expected me to do the same. Maybe that was why I preferred rooftops and alleys to crowded rooms they didn't ask for answers I couldn't give.
The hum beneath my skin was faint today. Not strange, not alarming. Just… present. Like a heartbeat I wasn't sure was mine. I shook it off. Nothing in Glora was supernatural yet. That would come later. For now, I had the streets, the city, my notebook, and the quiet weight of myself.
A lone pedestrian passed by, glancing up. Recognition flashed for half a second in their eyes, and then they were gone. Waza. The name still clung to me, a shadow of someone I used to be. I let it linger, then let it go.
The sun climbed higher, spilling light across the rooftops. I stayed, watching, listening, absorbing. I didn't need to move yet. I didn't need to prove anything. The city would notice when I was ready.
And for now, I would just be alone.