It wasn't really sunny as it always was today - it was exceptionally warm, with a heaviness that seemed to hang in the air. Throughout the day, the sun hid behind a blanket of thick clouds, casting a gloomy shadow over the city.
The unusual warmth added to the unsettling atmosphere.
Brad was sitting alone on the bench like a shadow that had learned how to breathe. A dark hoodie swallowed his frame, the hood pulled low enough to blur his face into anonymity, leaving only the suggestion of eyes beneath—watchful, restless. The fabric was worn thin at the elbows, stretched by too many nights like this, too many waits that ended badly for someone else.
Loose black jeans clung to his legs, creased and faded, pockets heavy with intent. One foot tapped the cracked pavement in slow, impatient rhythms, the sole of his scuffed sneaker peeled just enough to show neglect—or experience.
A cap hid beneath the hood, its brim angled downward, turning his face into a locked door no one could knock on.
His hands stayed buried in his pockets, knuckles tense, shoulders hunched forward as if the world itself were cold. He looked like just another man killing time, but there was a sharpness to the way his head tilted at every passing stranger, the way his body leaned forward when footsteps drew near.
He wasn't resting.
He was waiting.
Waiting for a perfect victim he can rob of their possession, as he scanned the area, his eyes fell upon a man who had just taken a seat beside him. The man was dressed in a well-fitted black suit, complete with a black hat perched on top of his head. He turned to Brad with a warm smile that seemed out of place in the somber atmosphere.
The man's warm smile caught Brad off guard, prompting him to question the stranger's intentions. "Can I help you?" Brad asked, suspicion tainting his words.
The man in black simply continued to smile, repeating softly, "It is time." his voice calm and collected. Brad's heart skipped a beat as he tried to make sense of the cryptic words. Before he could react, the screeching of tires filled the air, sending a shiver down his spine.