Her foot dropped heavily in the puddle next to the sidewalk, splashing the taxi and making one more stain on her old ripped jeans that had definitely seen worse. She took a second to make a mental list, making sure she had everything while exiting the vehicle. In her luggage was her passport, her money, her cards and clothes and in her heart was all the hope she could muster. She didn't believe she could hope for anything anymore, but life always had a way of surprising her. The cab driver handed her a black suitcase and she rolled it on the sidewalk. Her fare had already been taken cared of but she still had so many debts left to pay here. The city still smelled the same: wonders and broken dreams. Somehow, she had missed it. The low staccato of busy people walking around, the rumbling of the traffic and the whimpers of the wind, threatening to pull her to every corner of the world and giving her exactly what she needed. Every time.

She took another heavy step, the weight of the world nestled comfortably between her shoulder blades. One day she would collapse and she would be none the wiser. Would anyone even notice? It felt strange, surreal, being back after so long. The city was the same, but everyone she knew had drastically changed. Four years had taken a toll on her little world. Most of the people she knew barely lived here anymore and the few she had kept contact with didn't want to come back. Didn't they feel the pull? The city was a sun and she was a mere rock, designed to burst in flames and leave a blazing trail, only for a moment, before dissolving in a thousand pieces without ever reaching the ground. She could be part of this city forever, then.

In the past, she had been a superhero, inspiring people to be their best self, saving innocents and punishing villains. Sad how she couldn't go back. Four years and everything was changed. She could have been sad but she barely had the strength to hope. Besides, if the World changes, what use is it being angry at it?

She took yet another step. The ground was hard underneath her foot but she already was feeling much lighter. This city had a way of making everything brighter. Around her were a hundred shiny threads, dancing in mid-air, unnaftected by gravity. Ideas. She envied them. No place stimulated her creativity like this one. She was almost tempted to reach into her suitcase for her favorite notebook to put ink to paper, before remembering her pen had no more ink. No ink... plus d'encre... d'ancre... no anchor anymore. She chuckled, a strange metaphor of her life, maybe? Instead she reached for her phone. Inputting ideas using the little letters on her phone keyboard felt foreign, like she was supposed to write them down manually to really feel their essence. Then again, many things felt unfamiliar, by now.

The girl smiled. A few people turned around to look at her but kept to themselves. She was surrounded, but alone. "Welcome back", she whispered. Nobody answered.