The evening sky draped itself in orange and gold as the luxury ship slowed, the waves turning calmer, almost as if they too were welcoming Baku City. A distant bell rang across the decks, followed by the captain's voice over the speakers, "Ladies and gentlemen… we have arrived at Baku City. Thank you for sharing this journey with us. The gates are now open."
Ravi gently placed his hand on Auren's shoulder, then rolled the wheelchair forward. Beside them walked Vivi, her mother Alina trailing close. No one spoke — the silence carried its own weight, thick with the unspoken thought that something here would change Auren's life forever.
They entered the lift, the faint hum filling the quiet. Auren's eyes caught a glimmer through the glass walls — the sprawling city slowly coming into view. Towers kissed the sunset, their peaks crowned with glowing stuff that floated gently like lanterns in the air, casting shimmers over the canals weaving through the streets.
