The boy glanced up at Daniel — a flicker of guilt in his expression. His feet remained glued to the floor. Daniel gave him a single nod. Nothing more. On the platform, the air was colder than expected. Crisp. Fresh. A welcome change from recycled train air.
Daniel walked a few paces, slung his bag over one shoulder, and paused near a support pillar to let the rush of passengers move around him. He looked up at the wide station ceiling. The iron arches. The skylights. And then, finally, he smiled. It wasn’t a big smile. Not smug. Not vengeful.
Just quiet satisfaction. The kind that came from knowing he hadn’t yelled. He hadn’t snapped. He hadn’t been cruel. He’d simply made sure he was seen. And heard. For once. He took a long breath, stepped into the crowd, and disappeared.