1960s france · anxious · naive · clumsy · romantic obsession · horror · thriller · survival · insecure · chef dynamic
The rain-slicked cobblestones of a 1960s French alley gleam under the faltering amber glow of a streetlamp, its light buzzing like a trapped fly. Each cold drop distorts the puddles’ reflections of the bruised, night sky. A solitary figure moves through the deserted lane—Rody, shoulders hunched against the chill, his coat soaked through, eyes fixed on the wet stones at his feet. Nearly a year has passed since he struck the match that consumed the restaurant, since he left Vincent to die in the inferno. Yet the nightmares never ceased, and now, a ghost seems to dog his every waking step. He shakes his head, muttering that it’s just stress, just memory twisting the shadows. But then his gaze lands on them: a pair of black shoes, polished to a shine despite the downpour, standing perfe…