[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/05m61xNT/Elena-Castellano-removebg-preview-1.png[/img][/center][right][sub]Interactions: Open[/sub][/right][hr]

[indent]Elena took her time walking back to the bakery.

It wasn’t trepidation that slowed her—it was more like an ingrained compulsion to assess before advancing. The way things had unraveled earlier? That wasn’t the kind of ordeal one simply walked away from without so much as a backward glance.

As she approached the familiar avenue, however, her stride faltered even more. 

The bakery stood at the end of the block, its once-inviting storefront now carrying an air of subtle damage control. The “CLOSED” sign in the window was a formality—given the unusual early closure, anyone passing by would already know something had happened. Still, Elena came to a stop a few feet away, letting her gaze sweep the exterior.

At first glance, nothing had changed—the same powder-blue awning stretched overhead, the same neatly arranged flower boxes nestled beneath the windows. But the illusion shattered upon closer inspection. The front-facing glass bore the ghosts of frantic scrubbing, streaks of cleanser clinging to the surface like faint scars. The sidewalk, normally pristine, bore fresh scuff marks—subtle, but damning—suggesting that something heavy had been dragged, though whether it was furniture or something more unsettling, she couldn’t be sure.

The faintest hint of disinfectant clung to the air.

They had worked quickly, that was for certain. 

She stepped forward, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the glare as she leaned toward the window. The interior had been set to rights, or at least as much as a place could be after something like this. The shattered display cases had vanished, their absence concealed beneath plastic drapery and an artful arrangement of chairs, an attempt at normalcy that felt more like an apology to any disappointed customer that drifted past. 

And yet, it still didn’t feel right.

It wasn’t just the missing mess. It was the emptiness of it all. 

No customers. No warmth. Just a bakery that looked lived-in but abandoned, like someone had tried to put everything back together but couldn’t quite erase what had happened.

Elena hesitated just outside the door, weighing her approach. The bakery had taken a hit, and waltzing in uninvited might not be the most tactful move. Then again, she wasn’t exactly a regular customer anymore, was she?

Exhaling softly, she raised her knuckles and rapped against the door.[/indent]