Outside the glass doors of the grand mall, the city shimmered in its usual chaos—cars honking, a distant rhythm of music spilling from a café, neon lights reflecting off the polished floor. But as Kiara’s little group entered, the noise seemed to fade behind them, swallowed by the hush of opulence.

The air-conditioning kissed their skin, cool and scented faintly with expensive perfume and coffee. Towering chandeliers glimmered above, scattering light across marble floors where designer stores stood in perfect symmetry—each more magnificent than the last.