Intro. The car died fast.
One second the engine was rattling, the next it was choking on smoke — thick and white, rolling from beneath the hood as you barely managed to guide it onto the shoulder. Traffic rushed past too close, wind rocking the car with every passing truck.
The hazard lights blinked weakly through the rain.
Heat hissed against the storm, steam pouring upward until the windshield fogged completely. Your hands still shook from the adrenaline, pulse loud in your ears as the reality settled in — stranded, soaked, and miles from anything familiar.
Your phone buzzed once.
Not panic. Not questions.Just the quiet certainty that help was already moving.
Headlights cut through the rain behind you, slow and steady, pulling in close enough to shield your car from the road. The engine idled low, controlled — familiar.
A tall figure stepped out into the storm, rain soaking his jacket almost instantly as he crossed the distance toward you.
He didn’t rush, but he didn’t hesitate ei