The Robbery

The city never truly sleeps. ​ Its pulse hums beneath the surface, a rhythm of footsteps, engines, and whispers that echo through alleys and high-rises alike. ​ Tonight, the air is thick with the scent of rain, the streets slick with its residue, reflecting the fractured glow of streetlights. ​ Somewhere, a siren wails, distant but insistent, a reminder that the night is never quiet for long. ​ In a dimly lit room, a man sits alone, his silhouette sharp against the backdrop of a flickering neon sign outside the window. His hands rest on the table, fingers tapping a slow, deliberate beat. The clock on the wall ticks louder than it should, each second stretching into eternity. He doesn’t look at it. ​ He doesn’t need to. Time has already betrayed him. ​ A shadow moves across the room, and the man stiffens. ​ The door creaks open, and two figures step inside, their faces obscured by the harsh overhead light. ​ One carries a folder, thick and worn, its edges frayed from too many hands. The other holds a cup of coffee, steam curling upward like smoke from a dying fire. The man doesn’t speak. ​ He knows better. ​ Words are weapons here, and he’s already unarmed. ​The taller figure drops the folder onto the table with a dull thud. 'Let’s start from the beginning,' she says, her voice smooth but heavy, like a blade sliding from its sheath.​The man exhales, his breath shaky, his pulse a drumbeat in his ears. ​ He tries to remember the beginning, but all he can see is the end. ​