The cycle began anew. "Another day, another disappointment," she thought.

The sun slithered through the slats of the blinds, casting pale lines across the floorboards and up the edge of Void's bed. Her bedsheets had slipped halfway off in the night, tangled around her legs like a net she didn't even bother escaping. She stared at the ceiling, eyes dry & aching, lips slightly parted as if a piece of her still expected breath to feel like something other than a chore...

Void walked away from Keira with a grin stapled to her face, the kind that said, "Look at me, emotionally functional and completely normal, haha, just fucking kill me." Keira had waved, tossed her a wink, and disappeared behind the garage's sliding door, blissfully unaware of the emotional crater left behind. Not her fault - Void had made sure of that...

The sun was already blazing when Void stirred, a sharp line of light cutting across her face through the broken blinds. She flinched, blinked hard, then groaned as stiff muscles protested. Keira was pressed right up against her, their legs tangled, one of Keira's hands resting low on her hip. Her breath warmed Void's neck, steady and close. Strands of scarlet hair clung to Void's skin, caught in the heat between them.

Keira was still out, her face relaxed, mouth slightly open. She looked peaceful in a way that made something inside Void ache, considering what she's been through. Void just watched - her heart thudding, afraid this moment would vanish the second she moved a muscle.

Void breathed in slow, letting the weight of Keira against her linger for one more heartbeat before she whispered, "Rise and shine, gearhead."...

Dee had been staring at Millie's profile for twenty minutes before she finally typed "hey." The message sent with a soft ping, swallowed instantly by the familiar silence of a thread too long untouched. She pulled her knees closer, Miso purring against her leg like he could anchor Dee back into the moment.

Another five minutes. Then the reply came.

Millie :: 11:31AM
o hey! long time huh 😅...

The buzz at the door came thirty-seven minutes after Void's last message. Keira blinked at it, groggy from adrenaline crash, her bag still half-unpacked, a ratty blanket wrapped around her.

She hit the release switch, metal clunk echoing down the corridor. A few moments later, Void descended the narrow staircase appearing like she already was in this place before. Beanie askew, still in just her tee, and carrying a plastic bag looking like it had been filled by a raccoon on Adderall.

Void squinted around. "Jesus. This place smells worse than my toolbox."...