The bus rolled to a slow stop, its brakes hissing as the doors slid open.
June stepped off, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder as she glanced around.
The familiar outdoor mall stretched out before her, the late morning sun casting warm light over the rows of shops, restaurants, and open seating areas.
She had been here countless times before, but today, it felt… different.
It's only been three days since I last saw them, she reminded herself.
But to her, it had been months.
Months spent inside the Tower, fighting, leveling up, living an entirely different life from the one she had on Earth.
The contrast was strange.
Walking these streets, surrounded by people casually shopping and eating, made the intensity of her other life feel almost distant—almost like a dream.
But it's not a dream.
She took a deep breath and pushed forward, weaving her way through the light crowd.
