The city never slept, and neither did my thoughts.
Cairo was louder than I imagined—car horns, hurried footsteps, voices blending into one endless sound. Everyone seemed to know where they were going. I didn't. I had arrived with one suitcase, a tired heart, and a promise to myself: this time, I would start over.
I stood outside the apartment building, staring at the peeling paint and narrow staircase. It wasn't home. But it was all I could afford. As I dragged my suitcase up the stairs, my phone buzzed.
No messages.
I shouldn't have expected any.
Love had taught me one thing—people leave when you need them most.
I unlocked the door and stepped into the small room. Bare walls. A single window. Silence. I dropped my bag and sat on the floor, pressing my back against the wall.
"New city," I whispered. "New rules."
No falling in love.
No trusting too fast.
No heartbreak again.
I didn't know then that the city had already decided otherwise.