The morning breeze carried a quiet calm as it brushed past the car, cool and gentle, slipping in through the slightly open window while Ruaan drove down the main road. The city had not fully woken yet-shops were still shuttered, traffic sparse, the world moving at an unhurried pace as if it, too, wished to linger in this fragile stillness. Inside the car, a familiar old melody played softly, low enough to blend into the rhythm of the drive.

Ruaan hummed along absentmindedly, one hand steady on the steering wheel, his eyes focused on the road ahead, posture relaxed but alert—the way he always was behind the wheel.