Cordelia’s laughter still lingered in the cool night air as Ash parked his bike outside her apartment building. Her lips were flushed from their kisses beneath the stars, her cheeks glowing with a warmth that had nothing to do with the summer night. She gave him one last peck before slipping off the bike, her nurse’s bag slung over her shoulder. Ash caught her hand, pressed it against his chest for a long moment, and then let her go reluctantly.
The city seemed quieter when she walked inside. For Ash, the world felt steadier, sweeter, like he’d finally found something worth holding on to. But elsewhere in the same city, a storm was just beginning to rise.
Devil sat in his office, half-drunk coffee cooling on the desk, cigarette smoke curling toward the ceiling. His phone buzzed. At first
