River Walkway

The walkway runs alongside the river’s edge, its stone paving slick from recent mist and the ceaseless flow of water below. A low iron railing separates pedestrians from the channel’s dark current, its surface worn smooth by decades of leaning elbows and hurried footsteps. Shadows stretch long under the amber glow of distant streetlamps, pooling in the gaps between cracked paving stones where moss has taken hold. The air carries the damp earthiness of the river mixed with the sharp bite of urban exhaust, the mingling scents thick in the evening chill. Distant footsteps echo off the water, amplifying the urgency as Duggan’s silhouette emerges from the gloom, his coat flaring with each stride. The walkway feels like a narrow ledge between safety and pursuit, its openness betraying a false vulnerability—every lamppost a potential hiding spot, every bend a new unknown.