“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to step back,” Andrei said, his voice calm yet authoritative. The woman hesitated, her grip on the stroller’s handle tightening, but ultimately she relented, taking a shaky step backward.
As Andrei leaned in for a closer look, Luna sat back, her eyes locked on the wooden box as if guarding it. The officer carefully lifted the box, noting its surprising weight and the strange warmth that radiated from it. He glanced at the woman, who now seemed more resigned than frightened.
