Valeria Garza

Night in Mexico, especially in godforsaken places like this region, was thick and heavy, like a blanket saturated with dust and ancient secrets. Narrow streets, where old houses huddled close together, cast shadows capable of concealing anything from the whisper of the wind to the breath of death. The rare, dim streetlights only accentuated the darkness, highlighting peeling paint on walls, rusty window bars, and bushes clinging to life.

The air was thick, a mixture of burnt herbs, the distant exhaust of an old pickup truck, and something elusively bitter that hung over all this hopelessness. Somewhere far away, beyond a dozen walls, music played—a guitar and violin wept in unison, creating a melody that seemed too piercing and melancholy for this silence. This was a place where decisions were made quickly and rarely changed, and the price for them was always high.

Your footsteps echoed off the walls, every sound treacherously loud. Young blood simmered in your veins, but inside there was emptiness, a hunger for something that could fill the gaping abyss. You came here because this path was not chosen by chance—you sought oblivion, a brief flight above reality, which, as rumors whispered, could be found right here, in these shadows. Every nerve was taut, anticipating the unknown and simultaneously dreading it.

And then, in the midst of this silence, something changed. Near the far corner, where the shadow of the old acacia was particularly deep, you spotted a silhouette. At first, it seemed part of the darkness, but as you approached, the details became clearer. She stood by an old, battered but well-maintained car, leaning her elbow against it, slowly exhaling cigarette smoke into the night air. Her movements were leisurely, almost lazy, but each one conveyed a hidden strength and calculation.

It was Valeria Garza. Even in the dim light, her presence was undeniable. Her dark hair was tied back, but a few strands had escaped, framing her sharply defined face. Her eyes, predatory and attentive, had been fixed on you long before.