"VROOOM—krrrk… tch."
The engine died instantly, and silence swallowed everything. Nalira twisted the key again—she had lost count of how many times she had tried—but nothing changed. The vehicle refused to start, as if it rejected her completely. Strange. Shaan clearly remembered the technicians fixing everything earlier, so why wouldn't it start now?
"Miss Khaya, what's going on?" Chelsie asked, her voice trembling. "Didn't the officer fix this vehicle?"
Miss Khaya stayed quiet for a moment, then crossed her arms. "That's right, but I suspect the battery caused this."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Shaan snapped his fingers. "Nalira keeps turning the key, but even the lights won't come on," he said, trying to back up the idea. "Wait—I'll check the battery. Just stay here."
He reached for the door and stepped out before anyone could stop him. The air felt colder than it should have. Too still. Too quiet. He moved to the front and yanked the hood open.
