I. Homecoming “Victor, I’m back! I grabbed your favorite cinnamon buns for tea—want some?” Lauren’s voice floated into the apartment before she did—bright, hopeful, almost singing. The sound...

I. The Empty Morning The bank’s text came at 7:15 a.m. “Debit transaction in the amount of…” I didn’t open it. David often wired money for lumber, paint,...

I. The Toss of the Keys “Oleg tossed the line out as casually as he’d fling his car keys onto the hall table.” He threw that sentence into...

Yana was at her breaking point. She slammed the deck of cards onto the table with a mix of frustration and anger. “I’m sick of carrying you all...

The quiet hum of the city outside their window seemed like a distant memory now. Inna and Kirill had sat through yet another evening in their cramped kitchen,...

The door creaked again — a long, plaintive groan that seemed to slice through the apartment’s heavy air.In the living room, Igor twitched as if struck. He was...

Rain fell in silvery sheets over the café windows, tracing thin lines across the glass like veins of unease. Kira stirred her coffee mechanically, watching pedestrians rush past...

The August sun was merciless. It beat down on the vegetable garden, baking the soil into a cracked crust and turning every breath into an effort. Larisa set...

The music was deafening — the kind that shakes champagne glasses and drowns out any thought of silence. A hundred guests cheered, toasted, and laughed, oblivious to the...