Evening settled over Lunaris with a quiet heaviness. The bright chatter of the ice cream shop had faded into memory, replaced by the steady hum of cars moving along the streets. The group parted ways at the curb—Lisa walking briskly toward her driver, Xavier disappearing into the night with that same calm poise he always carried.

Meret and Bruce slid into the back of their own car, the soft leather sighing under their weight. The city lights blurred past the windows as the driver pulled ...