Chapter 1 - The Rain at Platform 4

Elias was a man of routines. Every Tuesday, he sat at the same station bench, reading a book he'd already finished twice. Then there was Clara. She arrived every Tuesday at 5:15 PM, always carrying a yellow umbrella—even when the sky was clear. For months, they were just background characters in each other's lives. One evening, a sudden downpour trapped them both under the small station awning. "It's finally useful," she said, nodding toward her yellow umbrella. Elias smiled, and for the first time, the routine felt like an adventure.