The Calm Before the Storm

Sora Takahashi leaned against the counter of the small electronics shop, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the glass. It was one of those slow, almost unbearably quiet shifts where the hours seemed to drag. The hum of the overhead lights was the only sound aside from the occasional beeping of a customer checking out. This was the life of a part-time worker, he thought. Enough to pay the bills, but not enough to feel like he was going anywhere.

Across the room, Ren, his coworker, was glued to his phone, flipping through the latest sports updates or videos, judging by his occasional grunts of approval or disapproval. The two of them had worked together for nearly a year, and their conversations usually revolved around the same topics—sports, weekend plans, and sometimes, the odd customer complaint.

"Did you catch the game last night?" Ren asked, barely glancing up from his screen.

Sora shook his head, his angular features illuminated by the dim shop lights. "Nah, wasn't in the mood."

"Come on, man, it was a good one. You missed out," Ren replied, grinning. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and stretched lazily. "You've been off lately. Everything alright?"

Sora shrugged, unsure how to put the vague feeling into words. "Just… something feels weird, you know? Like something's coming. Can't explain it."

Ren gave him a sideways look, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "What, like an earthquake or the apocalypse? You sound like one of those end-of-the-world nuts."

"Maybe," Sora replied with a small chuckle, though the uneasy feeling remained lodged in his chest. He couldn't shake the sense that something was building, just beneath the surface of everyday life.

It had been creeping up on him for days now, like the air was heavier, the sky darker, even when everything looked the same.

Ren leaned back against the wall, smirking. "You're only part-time, man. How stressed can you be? I'm the one who should be freaking out, full-time grind and all."

Sora flashed a quick grin but didn't respond. His thoughts were elsewhere, drifting like the clouds outside the shop window. The sun was sinking lower, casting long shadows over the street. In just a few minutes, his shift would be over, and he could head home, where Roper, his shih tzu, would no doubt be waiting excitedly for him.

Ren glanced at the clock. "You're up soon, right? Go home, man. I'll close up."

Sora nodded gratefully, grabbing his bag from under the counter. "Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, man."

"Anytime. And hey, try not to worry about the apocalypse on your way home," Ren called after him with a teasing grin.

Sora waved as he stepped out into the cool evening air, the city buzzing with its usual end-of-day rush. Cars honked, people jostled past one another, all in a hurry to get somewhere. But for Sora, everything seemed to slow down, as if he were walking through a dream.

That strange sensation was back, pressing against his mind, making him hyper-aware of the world around him.

The walk home wasn't long, just a few blocks from the shop to his modest apartment on the outskirts of the city. As he approached the familiar building, the tension in his shoulders eased slightly.

No matter how the world felt, Roper was always there to bring him back to normal. His loyal dog had been with him for years, through thick and thin, always wagging her tail, always happy to see him.

Sure enough, the moment Sora opened the door, Roper came bounding toward him, her small paws clicking on the wooden floor as she wagged her tail furiously. She jumped up, her excitement barely contained as she yipped in greeting.

"Hey, girl," Sora greeted her with a smile, crouching down to pet her. "You miss me?"

Roper barked in response, her little body vibrating with joy. Sora laughed, the weight of the day already starting to lift as he gave her a good scratch behind the ears.

"You're the best part of my day, you know that?"

Roper barked again as if to confirm she understood every word.

Sora straightened up and tossed his bag onto the couch, heading toward the window. He always liked to take a moment to look out at the night sky before settling in for the evening. It had become a bit of a ritual for him, something about the stars always calmed his mind, no matter how restless he felt.

But tonight, as he looked up, something was different.

His striking angular features, yet with a lean, wiry build, were bathed in the celestial glow as he stared up at the night sky. "Man, look at that," he muttered under his breath.

"All twelve constellations are shining brightly tonight."