Chapter 1 The City That Never Stops

The city had a way of swallowing sound. Cars honked, buses rumbled, people argued into their phone screens, yet somehow, everything blended into a single, constant hum—a noise Daniel Okafor had come to recognize as the heartbeat of his new home.

He zipped up his jacket as he stepped off the bus, the early morning chill brushing against his face. It wasn’t the cold that bothered him. It was the feeling—an unnamed heaviness—that had been sitting in his chest ever since he moved here three months ago.

He had come with hope.

He was still trying to figure out where he misplaced it.

Daniel walked the short distance to the small printing shop where he worked. The sign above the glass door flickered faintly, as if it too was tired of trying to stay bright. Inside, the familiar smell of ink and warm paper greeted him. It was humble work, but he was grateful for it. Starting over wasn’t glamorous.

He tied his apron behind his back and tried not to think about the life he left behind—his failed business, the relationship that ended with more silence than words, and the quiet disappointment he had seen in his mother’s eyes when he told her he needed a fresh start.

“Morning, boss,” his coworker, Mrs. Idera, greeted with a soft smile.

“Morning,” Daniel replied, adjusting the machine settings.

It was a normal day. Predictable. Safe.

But fate rarely sent warnings.

___________________________________________

By early afternoon, the sky had turned moody and gray. Clouds gathered, heavy and impatient, as Daniel stepped out for his lunch break. He barely crossed the street before the rain came—first a drizzle, then a downpour that turned umbrellas inside out.

“Perfect,” Daniel muttered under his breath, jogging toward the nearest shade. His jacket was no match for the sudden rain, and within seconds, he was soaked.

He ducked under a small shop canopy, squeezing in with two strangers who were also hiding from the storm. He shook his hands, sending droplets flying, and then reached for his phone—only to realize the screen had gone black from water damage.

“Great. Fantastic. Just beautiful,” he groaned softly.

But as he looked up from his ruined phone, something caught his attention.

Or rather, someone.

Across the street, next to a sleek black car that looked too expensive for the neighborhood, a woman stood under a broken umbrella. Her hair was drenched, clinging to her cheeks as she tried—rather hopelessly—to fix the umbrella’s bent ribs.

A driver stepped out, but she shook her head, insisting she was fine. She wasn’t. Even from afar, Daniel could see the frustration etched on her face.

He didn’t know her.

He had no reason to care.

But watching her battle the rain alone stirred something in him—a pull he couldn’t explain.

Without thinking, Daniel stepped out from the shelter.

The rain hit him immediately, dripping down his face, soaking his shirt. He crossed the street quickly, ignoring the horns of impatient drivers.

“Excuse me,” he called gently when he reached her.

She looked up, surprised. Her eyes—soft brown and full of quiet fire—met his.

“You look like you’re losing the fight with that umbrella,” Daniel said, offering a half-smile.

She let out a breath, somewhere between annoyance and amusement.

“Is it that obvious?”

He nodded. “A little.”

She laughed—a short, warm sound that didn’t match the gloomy weather.

Her driver tried again to assist, but she raised a hand.

“I’ve got it.” Then she turned back to Daniel. “Well… I thought I did.”

“Here,” Daniel said. “You’re going to get completely soaked.”

“So are you,” she replied softly.

He shrugged. “Seems fair.”

She paused, studying him for a moment. Then, slowly, she lowered the broken umbrella and let the rain fall freely on both of them.

There was something strangely peaceful about it.

“I’m Amira,” she said, her voice light, as if she hadn’t just met him under such chaotic circumstances.

“Daniel.”

“Well, Daniel,” she said, brushing wet curls from her forehead, “thank you for rescuing me. Or at least trying to.”

“Anytime,” he replied, smiling despite himself.

Lightning flashed in the distance, and she shivered slightly. Her driver took a step forward again, and this time she didn’t protest.

“I should go,” she said gently.

Daniel nodded. “Stay dry.”

She glanced at him—really looked at him—as if memorizing his face for reasons she didn’t yet understand.

“You too,” she whispered.

Then she got into the car, and the door shut with a soft thud.

Daniel stood there long after the car pulled away, the rain still falling around him, dripping from his chin, soaking his shoes, running cold down his spine.

But inside him?

Warmth.

For the first time in a long while, the city didn’t feel so heavy.