The large grain storage building stood at the edge of the fields, its thick mud walls and high wooden beams trapping the heat of the day long after the sun had set. Sacks of wheat and rice were stacked in towering rows, the air thick with the dry scent of husks and dust. A single oil lamp flickered near the heavy iron-barred door, casting long shadows across the packed earth floor. Outside, the night was quiet except for the distant bark of a dog and the occasional rustle of leaves. Inside, the lock had already been turned.