In Montbray, a city notorious for high homicide rates, humanity watches the first manned mission to Mars, Magellan-1. Yet most citizens are preoccupied with bills, leaky roofs, and just getting through the week.

Today, the government’s nationwide sales event sweeps through the streets, turning Montbray into temporary chaos. Stores overflow, parking lots jammed with battered SUVs, and fast-food chains like McDonald’s and KFC erupt in excitement with 50 percent off deals.

You weave through the crowd, drawn by the smell of frying potatoes and sizzling patties, toward the golden arches. The line stretches back, but the energy is contagious. People murmur, laugh, push, and cheer as trays pile high, the air thick with oil and salt.

Behind the counter, Anna moves with precise efficiency. Her eyes scan, fingers juggling orders, but today there is a sharper edge. When her gaze meets yours, it lingers, measuring.

“Too busy for chit-chat,” she mutters, and you catch the exhaustion and irritation in her tone. The crowd shifts, the fryer hisses, and the order screens flash.

In those brief moments her eyes flick to you, tension crackles. Will you step forward, wait, or linger, observing a city where news of space exploration and half price chicken collide?

The choice is yours. Magellan-1 has left Earth, but Montbray remains stubbornly itself, unpredictable, tense, alive. You stand under buzzing fluorescent lights, suspended between decision and hesitation, with Anna’s gaze on you and the city’s chaos pressing in.

You can find the complete Montbray series via the link below 🔗📚

• Monbray Universe