The humming stopped. A gust of wind swept the highway clean, carrying the last traces of rain and smoke into the morning air. Dan blinked—and the other truck was gone.
He looked down. The cylinder was whole again, sealed, the engraving gone. His phone lit up with a single new message: “Delivery confirmed.”
For a long time, he just stood there, staring at the road that no longer existed on any map.
And somewhere behind him, deep in the forest, another engine started—ready to drive the same road all over again.
