Nova's Apartment – 7:41 AM
The rain had passed in the night, but the sky hadn't decided on sun or gloom. Nova stood by the window, a cup of tea in hand, eyes fixed on nothing.
Kade sat at the table behind her, flipping through photos again—the same ones from yesterday, but today they felt sharper.
"Bell's Theorem says distance doesn't matter," Nova said softly.
Kade looked up.
She turned toward him. "That kind of connection… it's beautiful in theory. But terrifying when someone like Dominic believes it's real."
"He doesn't see her as a person," Kade said. "Just a reflection he thinks he owns."
Nova walked over and traced the outline of a photo. "Then we remind him she's not a reflection anymore."
South End Apartment – 9:13 AM
Amara stood by the easel. A blank canvas waited in front of her. She'd been staring at it for almost an hour.
The sketchpad from yesterday sat beside her. She opened it, ran her hand over the drawing of the clouds. Then, with a deep breath, she picked up a brush.
She didn't know what she was painting yet.
But the silence no longer felt empty.
From the kitchen, Nova's voice floated in. "You want tea?"
Amara called back, "Yeah. Something with ginger."
Outside, the storm had passed. Inside, something had opened.
Selene's Bar – 11:52 AM
Eli stood near the entrance, watching Nari rearrange wine bottles behind the counter. He'd been meaning to ask her something. Not about them—but about himself.
"Nari," he said.
She turned. "Yeah?"
"What does it mean if I still dream about the woman who broke me?"
She walked closer, eyes steady. "It means the wound didn't close right. But maybe you're finally letting it breathe."
Eli exhaled. "You think it's time I stop hiding behind damage?"
"I think it's time you let someone love the man behind it."
Police Headquarters – 2:25 PM
Kade and Nova stood before a digital board covered in cross-referenced locations. Threads stretched between pins like veins.
"There's a cabin," Kade said. "Upstate. Rental under an old alias of Dominic's."
Nova tapped the screen. "Surveillance?"
"Dead zone. No traffic cams. No cell towers. Classic isolation."
Nova straightened. "Then that's where we start watching."
South End Rooftop – 6:33 PM
Kael arrived alone this time. Amara was still painting. He didn't tell her he was going back up.
He just stood where she had sketched the clouds the night before, hands in his pockets, wind moving through his shirt.
Footsteps.
Rin.
She crossed the roof slowly, not surprised to see him.
"I thought I might find you here," she said.
Kael smiled faintly. "Everyone keeps saying that."
Rin stood beside him.
"Still love her?" she asked.
Kael looked ahead. "I think I always will. But not like before."
She nodded. "That's good. Because you can love someone… and still not follow them."
He turned toward her. "You okay?"
"I'm learning how to be. Without asking if someone's looking back."
They stood there—no tension. Just wind. Just closure.
Malik's Studio – 7:10 PM
Amara stepped into the small studio above the art supply store. Malik, surprised, stood up from where he was organizing tubes of watercolor.
"You're back."
She nodded. "I was wondering… if you ever rent this space out."
He tilted his head. "Looking for a place to paint?"
She smiled. "Maybe. Or to start something I never finished."
Malik grinned. "Then this place is yours. First week's on the house."
Amara looked around—light filtering through high windows, shelves full of half-finished canvases, and something in the air that didn't feel heavy.
She stepped to the center.
"I think I want to try again."