All Chapters of The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight: Chapter 11

The autumn air carried the scent of fallen leaves and possibility. As David drove, Shantali watched the city scroll past her window, struck by how ordinary everything looked—pedestrians with coffee cups, cyclists navigating traffic, clouds drifting across the October sky. The world hadn't changed, but her place within it had shifted profoundly."What are you thinking about?" David asked, glancing at her during a red light."How strange it is that just a few days ago, I was desperate to understand something supernatural. Now I'm excited about checking water pressure in apartment bathrooms."David laughed. "That's called growth, I think.""Or sanity returning."They arrived at the first apartment—a corner unit in a renovated pre-war building. The real estate agent, a brisk woman named Elaine with a portfolio of listings and sensible shoes, led them through rooms bathed in natural light. The promised bookshelves flanked a brick fireplace, and the balcony overlooked a small park where cri