03/13/2026
In the oil-scented silence of his workshop, Cade Sterling sat among the ghosts of chrome and steel. To anyone else, he was a master builder, but to Cade, he was a man trying to stop time.
He leaned back on the weathered leather sofa, his silver beard catching the neon hum of the Jack Daniel’s sign. A cigar smoldered between his fingers, smoke curling around a "Chronometer" on the table—a complex heart of brass gears he’d been perfecting for years. Beside it, a glass of bourbon sat untouched, reflecting the low amber light.
Cade’s eyes drifted to his ledger. Among the grease-stained sketches was a faded photo of a young man—his son—leaning against an unfinished frame. This bike, the one sitting in the shadows, was supposed to be their first journey together. Since the accident, Cade had spent every night here, telling himself he was finishing the machine to honor the boy’s memory.
He picked up a heavy silver chain, his calloused thumb tracing the cold metal. He had convinced the world he stayed in this garage to keep his son’s spirit alive through the roar of an engine.
Cade took a final, slow breath of the tobacco-thick air and stood up. He didn't reach for his wrench. Instead, he grabbed his jacket and walked toward the heavy garage door, leaving the "Chronometer" ticking on the table. As he stepped out into the cool night, he didn't look back at the bike. He realized he hadn't been building a tribute at all—he’d been building a prison, and for the first time in three years, he was letting himself out.