The sound of water was incessantly echoing in Jensen Sterling's ears, unsettling him for some unknown reason. He got up and walked to the balcony, pinching a cigarette between his fingers.
He cracked the window open slightly, using his cold, pale fingers to twirl the lighter at his fingertips before leaning down slightly to light the cigarette.
The balcony light was off, casting a bit of darkness. A faint glow flickered intermittently in the space, and the man's silhouette was hidden in the dimness, his gaze deep.
In that moment, the smell of cigarette smoke that had just surrounded him seemed to vanish. He stood there enveloped in silence, gazing at the distant city lights, his eyes as quiet and still as dead water, unruffled by any waves.
Countless nights before, he had stood like this, watching the bright lights below and feeling the silence around him.
