I wiped a clear stripe through the fog covering my bathroom mirror, revealing my tired reflection on it.

Pulling my thoughts together had taken longer than expected. Too many things circled my mind like vultures.

Liam’s warning.

Kari’s suspicious movement in the footage.

The note in my pocket.

And Liam’s last words, repeating over and over in my head.

Did you forget?

People around me kept falling under suspicion, one after another. I wanted to believe that the circle ended somewhere… that at least a few people around me remained untouched by whatever this was.

Avery, for instance. I had known him long enough to trust him without hesitation.

Eric, though…

My eyes drifted down to the text he’d sent yesterday.

Our impromptu dinner.

I wanted to believe I could trust him, too.

But belief and certainty were two very different things.

I pressed the towel through my damp hair, drying it slowly after my shower. The warmth had relaxed my muscles, but the fatigue on my face remained.

When I released my hair, the still-damp strands fell across my cheeks.

I looked exhausted.

No amount of makeup could hide the weight of the past few days, but I tried anyway. I kept it light, careful not to overdo it.

I wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

That’s what I told myself, at least.

I spent longer getting ready than usual.

Eventually, I stepped back from the mirror, studying the result.

My hair fell in soft curls, half tied back while the rest rested on my shoulders.

High-waisted jeans hugged my legs, paired with a black off-the-shoulder top that exposed my collarbones. It was simple, but flattering. The only heels I owned completed the outfit.

I had barely worn them. 

I preferred practical shoes… something you could run in if necessary.

But tonight was… different.

I added a few simple gold accessories and a light floral perfume before grabbing the only purse I owned.

For someone used to luxury, the look probably appeared modest.

But to me, it felt more than enough.

I gave my reflection one last, small smile.

It would do.

I picked up my phone from the kitchen counter.

A message from Eric was waiting on the screen.

Taking care of something before I head out. See you there.

I smiled faintly.

Since reuniting with him, we have met several times to catch up. Each meeting felt strangely natural, like slipping back into something familiar.

But it was also… exciting.

It broke the routine I had forced myself to live by for years. Work, sleep, repeat.

Even when I returned home after spending time with him, part of me was already looking forward to the next time.

It wasn’t the same feeling I had when spending time with Avery or Kari.

This was something different.

Something warmer.

Something dangerous.

My cheeks warmed at the realization.

So, this is what people mean when they talk about liking someone.

Romantically.

The thought felt foreign in my life.

I smacked my cheek lightly.

“Get a hold of yourself.”

It had been a long time since I last visited Romanicus Square, so I arrived early.

The plaza buzzed with life: vendors, music, and laughter spilling from outdoor cafes. The air smelled of roasted nuts and street food.

I wandered through the crowds, listening to fragments of strangers’ conversations.

For once, police reports or interrogation transcripts did not surround me.

Just people.

Living their lives. 

It felt… refreshing.

At the same time, guilt lingered in the back of my mind.

Someone had just tried to murder a witness.

A colleague might be involved.

And here I was… walking through a plaza like none of it existed.

Should I really be here?

My wandering eventually brought me to the center of the square.

The grand fountain stood there, water cascading gently into its wide basin.

I used to love this place.

Something about the sound of the water reminded me of the small creek behind my parents’ house.

I used to escape there when home became too overwhelming.

Sometimes Eric came with me.

We’d sit there for hours, talking about nothing.

The benches around the fountain were full, so I sat on the stone edge instead.

Beside me, a couple laughed softly together. Their arms intertwined as they held coins between their fingers.

They closed their eyes before tossing them into the water.

The familiar wishing tradition.

As a child, I never took part.

Coins were too valuable to throw away.

But as an adult, I tried it once or twice.

I reached into my wallet and found a coin.

The metal felt cool in my palm.

I didn’t really believe in wishes.

But pretending, even briefly, that one could solve life that easily brought a strange comfort.

I had worked hard to build a stable life.

Money wasn’t what I wanted.

My friends were safe.

My health was intact.

So, if I were to wish for anything…

Let this case end quickly.

Let the truth come out before anyone else gets hurt.

I flicked the coin into the fountain.

It sank slowly beneath the surface, ripples spreading outward.

As the water settled, the reflection on the surface sharpened.

I leaned closer.

At first, I thought I was simply staring at my reflection.

But the face looking back at me shifted.

For a split second, it wasn’t mine.

It was someone else’s.

Someone painfully familiar.

Nathan.

My breath caught.

“Who…?”

The name had appeared in my mind before I could stop it.

I turned quickly, expecting someone to be standing behind me.

But there was no one there.

When I looked back down, only my reflection stared up from the water.

My heart pounded.

Who was Nathan?

Why did that name feel so… important?

A raindrop struck the fountain’s surface.

Then another.

Within seconds the sky opened, rain pouring over the plaza.

People scattered, running for cover.

But I didn’t move.

The rain soaked through my hair, my clothes, my skin.

Still, I stared at the water.

The reflection was gone.

The memory was gone.

But the feeling remained.

Something inside me had surfaced for just a moment…

And slipped away again.

What was that thought?

Come on, Selene.

Talk to me.

What did you just remember?

----------------------------------------------------

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Art: Petra Eggert