The rain had stopped, leaving the city streets glistening under the cold glow of neon signs. Liora walked in silence beside Seren, her thoughts tangled and restless. Every step felt heavier than the last, as though the city itself was pressing against her chest. She kept her notebook close, though she hadn't drawn anything yet. The visions had been quiet all afternoon but that quietness made her uneasy.
"You've been quiet," Seren said, breaking the tension. She kicked at a puddle, sending droplets flying. "Thinking about Aiden? Or… something else?"
"Something else," Liora admitted. She shivered not from the chill, but from the memory that had been dormant all these years, now nudging at her mind. "My sister… I keep thinking about her. About what happened. About the day she disappeared."
Seren didn't respond immediately, just kept walking beside her. The way she moved effortlessly confident, untouchable was calming, in a strange way. "You're going to see her soon," Seren finally said. Her voice was low, almost a whisper, but there was certainty in it. "Not her… not fully. But you'll see fragments. Pieces that will lead you to the truth."
Liora's stomach knotted. "Fragments? I don't even know if I can handle seeing her again like that… or if I even want to."
"You don't get a choice," Seren said bluntly. "The city doesn't ask. It just… shows you."
As they turned a corner, a flash of movement caught Liora's eye. A figure crouched by the side of the road, blurred, half-formed. She froze. Her heart hammered as the outline shifted, just enough for her to recognize the shape of someone familiar.
"Liora…" Seren's voice was steady, but there was a hint of urgency. "Focus. Don't panic."
Liora closed her eyes for a moment, letting her breathing slow. When she opened them again, the figure was clearer just a fragment, a memory echo. Her sister's face shimmered before her, eyes wide, mouth opening as if to speak.
And then it vanished.
Liora fell to her knees, clutching her notebook. The vision had left her trembling, not just from fear, but from the raw, aching pull of loss. She had spent years trying to forget the pain, but the city wasn't letting her. It was demanding she remember.
Seren crouched beside her, hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. You saw her. That's the first step. Now you start following the fragments, and maybe… just maybe, you'll find out what they really did to her."
Somewhere down the alley, a faint shadow shifted, and Liora felt it the unmistakable sense of being watched. The city hadn't released her yet. And she wasn't sure it ever would.
But for the first time, she felt a spark of determination. If the city could hide its secrets, she could uncover them. She had to.