Maya — Fet

"Now watch," she'd whisper, and she’d burn it.

She operated out of a basement bookstore in the old district, where the stairs groaned like they remembered the war. The sign on the door said Restorations , but no one ever brought her a painting or a clock. They brought her regrets. maya fet

The smoke never rose straight. It twisted, knotted, and for a second—just a second—you would see a different version of yourself in the haze. The one who spoke. The one who left. The one who stayed. "Now watch," she'd whisper, and she’d burn it