The afternoon sky over Tokyo wore a soft blush, streaked with threads of violet as the sun prepared to disappear behind the skyline. The air was crisp — not cold, but sharp enough to make Amelia pull her shawl closer as she stepped out onto the small balcony of Nora’s apartment.
A soft hum of distant traffic buzzed beneath them, and children’s laughter floated up from a park a few blocks away. For a moment, everything felt simple again. Peaceful. Familiar.
And then, the air shifted.
It wasn't anything loud or sudden. No knock. No dramatic call. No name shouted across the streets.
But her chest tightened.
Like her body knew something her mind hadn’t caught up with yet.
She leaned against the railing, gaze drifting lazily toward the edge of the street below. Her eyes swept the rows of
