Liam walked alone down the quiet road with his hands in his pockets, his eyes lazily scrolling through the translucent system stats floating in front of him. It had become a habit, something he did when he had nothing else to do. The past few months had trained him to stop relying on the system the way he used to, and in a strange way it felt good. He didn't feel chained to it anymore. It was like he finally had control over it instead of the other way around. He could ignore notifications for hours and not feel anxious. He could train without obsessively checking numbers. Tonight he opened it simply because he was bored, not because he needed it.
The city around him was empty. Completely empty. Not a single shop was open. The street lights flickered over silent roads, abandoned bus stops, and closed-off alleys. Liam walked casually through it all, feeling like he was wandering through a dead city.
He didn't mind the silence. If anything, it helped him clear his head.
