As the night deepened, the building grew quieter. The occasional creak of the walls and the faint hum of the electricity were the only sounds breaking the stillness. Karl sat on his bed, scrolling aimlessly through the group chat for the building's residents. It was mostly mundane—a mix of complaints about rationing, someone looking for a lost pair of socks, and a heated debate about whether the generator should run all night.
Yet, Karl's mind was elsewhere. His thoughts kept drifting back to Evelyn. The way her sharp eyes had scrutinized everything, her bold words in the meeting—they lingered in his memory. She had a commanding presence that was hard to ignore, and despite her bluntness, there was something oddly magnetic about her.
Karl shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts. Focus, Karl. She's just another resident. Nothing more.