As soon as the next day, Lanz was already on his way to the biggest mall Velmordop can offer.
He leaned his forehead against the rattling train window, watching Velmordop's crowded blocks slip past like a glitchy flipbook of everything he wasn't quite good enough to buy into.
The skyline kept shifting from cracked concrete to polished glass in the blink of an eye, but the reflection looking back at him stayed the same, tired f*cking eyes, hair that needed a real trim months ago, and a grin that kept twitching at the edges every time he remembered what he'd stuffed in his hoodie pocket.
He patted that inside pocket again just to feel the stiff edge of the payout chit press against his stomach, like it might magically melt away if he didn't keep checking it was real. He'd actually considered stashing it in his sock, a stupid move, he'd admit, but there were lines even he wouldn't cross for paranoia's sake.
