The Los Angeles skyline was painted in orange and smugdark as Mark sat on his balcony, buried under bills. His guitar was still. The city roared; he breathed unevenly. Suddenly, a scream rang out. He found a woman cornered by a menacing mugger and instinctively rushed to help. Mark leapt at the thief, adrenaline surging through him. The mugger fled. The woman, shaken, clung to him, whispering thanks. For the first time in months, Mark felt truly alive. He smiled, the weight of his burdens momentarily lifted, and picked up his guitar, ready to face whatever new challenges awaited him.