DAMEN
A glance at the wall shows it is 2:47 in the morning. Though quiet outside, time keeps moving just the same.
Coffee gone lukewarm in my hands, I watch Elena breathe slow under a frayed blanket. Sasha's mother paces near the stove, voice low into her phone, pulling strings one after another. No glance toward me has carried suspicion. Not once did she wonder what brings someone like me - to this part of town - for someone not mine. The silence between us holds steady, thick with things unsaid but clear enough.
Finding out why Sasha is so kind feels clearer now.
Screen lights up. It's Leo.
Any news?
Fine so far. Just hanging on. Wait continues.
I'm around, you realize that. When it comes to what you're looking for - count on me being nearby.
Funny thing is - Leo stayed put when everything else shifted. From the start, he was there, while others drifted off like smoke. An hour after I reached out, already walking into that dim police building, voice steady on the phone beside me. Not with grand words, just quiet moves: speaking to Harrison Cole, sliding offers across the table without drama. Cash? Contacts? Whatever fit. It stuck. And because of him, Harrison didn't walk away.
I reply with two words: I know. Gratitude follows close behind.
The old sofa groans under her shift. She moves slightly, opens her eyes slow, scans the room frantic - then locks onto my face.
Out of the dark room comes her question, heavy with drowsiness and worry: "Where is Mira?".
"She's still at the station. But she's okay. She has a lawyer - a good one. We're working on it."
Eyes lifting slowly, Elena pulls her legs close. It was me who caused this
"What? No. None of this is your fault."
"If I hadn't gone to Sasha's - if I'd stayed home - "
"Then you'd be alone, and they'd have come after you there." I move to sit beside her. "Listen to me, Elena. Selena did this. Not you. Not Mira. Selena. She's the one who hurt people. She's the one who should be blamed."
"But Mira's in jail because of me."
"Mira's in jail because of a system that's broken and a girl with too much power. But she's going to get out. I promise you."
Her gaze holds mine, deep and shadowed, just like Mira's used to. Full of hurt. Suspicious. She asks it slow - how could you possibly know?
"Because I'm not going to stop until she does."
A quiet look passes over her face, like she's measuring every part of me. After that pause, her head begins to move up and down, gentle but sure.
Alright," she says softly. "All right
The stillness wraps around us as we wait inside the silent home, time moving slow toward morning light.
***
MIRA
Frost creeps through the walls when darkness falls. A chill settles deeper after sunset.
Hours slip by without notice inside these blank walls that hold no view. Others arrived then left again, moved out or set free. Still here I stay. Waiting where nothing changes until someone somewhere makes up their mind.
Harrison Cole showed up again. He said things are being handled. Everyone is fine - Damen, Elena, all of them. Wait a little longer, that's what he mentioned. Came by just to say that.
Patient.
All these years, I waited. While Mom walked away one day and never came back, I stayed quiet. Raising Elena by myself? That happened without a word from me. Even when the children with money laughed, pushed, ignored - still nothing changed. Now here it is: that patience has worn thin. Tired doesn't cover it.
A figure shows up by the doorway. Castillo, someone's here to see you again
This time it is not Harrison waiting behind the glass. The room looks just like before. A different face shows up on the opposite side.
It's Marcus.
I blink, certain I'm hallucinating. "Marcus? What are you - how did you - "
"Damen called me." His face is tired, worried, but his eyes are steady. "Told me what happened. I came as soon as I could."
"You came. To the police station. At - " I glance at the clock on the wall. " - four in the morning."
"You're family, Mira. Where else would I be?"
A crack forms deep down. Not wide - just wide enough for tears to slip out. My palm meets the glass. On the far side, Marcus lifts his hand, lining it up with mine.
"I'm going to get you out of here," he says. "I don't know how yet, but I'm going to do it. You hear me?"
"I hear you."
"The diner's been crazy without you, by the way. Mr. Henderson keeps asking where his favorite waitress went. I told him you were on vacation." He tries to smile. "He said you deserve a raise."
I laugh - a wet, broken sound. "I love you, Marcus. You know that?"
"I know, kid. I know."
A silence hangs between us, eyes locked across the pane. Suddenly, a cough breaks it - hers - and Marcus shifts his stance.
"I have to go. But I'll be back. And Mira - " His voice hardens. "When you get out, we're going to find whoever did this. And we're going to make them pay."
Footsteps echo down the hall just as my mouth opens.
A chair creaks under me, stillness pressing close. Cold air bites my skin, sharp and sudden. This quiet brings back a weight I thought I'd lost long ago.
Not alone.
***
SELENA
Half past five in the morning. Inside my room. Light glows from one small lamp.
Still awake. Rest feels unnecessary now. Winning pumps energy through my veins instead.
Mira Castillo sits behind bars now. Everything ahead of her has crumbled. Damen? Not sure exactly where he ended up, only that he isn't near her - that piece fits right. When everything finally settles, he'll show up again. That's just how it plays out every single time.
A ring cuts through the quiet - phone lights up, caller hidden.
I answer. "Hello?"
Selena Vance? That was a man speaking. His tone came off sharp. Not warm at all.
"Who is this?"
"My name is Harrison Cole. I'm a private investigator. I've been retained to look into certain... irregularities... regarding Mira Castillo's arrest."
A beat skips inside me. Still, I keep my words steady. That means nothing to me
"Don't you? Interesting. Because I've already found several inconsistencies in the report. The timing of the call. The nature of the warrant. The car that was seen leaving the scene - a black Mercedes S-Class, registered to your mother."
The phone presses harder into my hand. Proof isn't found in that
"It proves someone with access to that car was in the vicinity. It proves that the call to police came from a burner phone purchased three days ago. It proves that the warrant was issued based on information from an anonymous tip - the same anonymous tip that also mentioned Mira's sister, her mother's arrest, and several other details that weren't public knowledge." He pauses. "I'm very good at my job, Ms. Vance. And I'm very close to having enough to take to the district attorney."
Floorboards creak under the weight of stillness. My pulse taps a rhythm against the quiet.
"If you're smart," he continues, "you'll call off whatever else you have planned. You'll let this go. Because if you don't - if anything else happens to Mira Castillo or her sister - I will find the proof. And I will make sure everyone knows what you did."
The connection cuts out without warning.
My fingers tremble as I look at the screen. The device feels heavy under my grip.
This fear feels new. Never before now during the conflict have I felt it so clearly. It sits heavy, different from anything earlier. A quiet dread has settled in. The moments pass slower because of it. Not excitement. Not anger. Just this.
***
MIRA
Out the door by 7:14 in the morning.
A piece of paper waits on the counter. The man in uniform does not look up. He slides forward a plastic sack - my keys, wallet, phone inside. Sign here, he says without speaking. Freedom comes like that. Quiet. Unmarked
A step outside, then - grey light spills over everything. Cold air hits my face, sharp but quiet. Just standing now, lungs filling slow.
That's when they come into view.
Stood by his ride, Damen looked worn out, face tired, strands sticking every which way. Out of breath, Elena dashed forward, clutching fabric tight around her shoulders. Then Marcus showed up. Karen too. Sasha right behind. A crowd built fast - each one stepping into the fray without hesitation.
Out of nowhere, Elena slams into me, squeezing my middle like she's trying to crush something inside. Breath catches in my chest as her grip locks in place, unshakable.
Mira. Mira. Mira." Her voice circles back, each time softer than before.
"I'm here," I whisper into her hair. "I'm here. I'm okay."
Damen shows up, drawing the two of us close without a word. A jumble of arms, quiet sobs, shaky breath - everything lets go at once.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs against my hair. "I'm so sorry it took so long."
"You got me out. That's what matters."
"Actually, that was Marcus. And Harrison. And about fifteen other people I called in favors from." He pulls back, cups my face in his hands. "But I would have burned the whole city down to get to you. You know that, right?"
I give a small nod, afraid to speak.
Elena tugs my sleeve. "Can we go home now? Please?"
A place you return to when everything else fades. That single idea holds weight now like never before.
"Yeah, baby. Let's go home."
***
DAMEN
Back on the road to The Shallows, silence fills the car. She dozes off behind, worn down by everything that happened after dark. Outside her glass, Mira traces the blur of streetlights and corners she knows too well.
Over I go, grabbing her fingers. Back comes the pressure, firm. Her grip says what words skip.
"What happens now?" she asks.
"Now we fight. Really fight. Harrison thinks he can build a case against Selena - enough to make her back off, at least. But it's going to take time."
"I don't have time. I have a sister to protect, a future to rebuild, a life to - " She stops, takes a breath. "Sorry. I'm just tired."
"I know." I squeeze her hand again. "But you're not alone anymore. Remember?"
Out of nowhere, her eyes meet mine - a smile appears. Not loud or bold, just quiet... yet it's truly there. The first one since everything went wrong.
"I remember."
Fog lifts from Elena's eyes when the car stops. She moves slow, helped by Marcus who guides her feet to pavement. Goodbyes come from Karen and Sasha - soft words, plans to return tomorrow. A strong hug goes from Marcus to Mira, his voice low: sleep matters now. His shift will wait for hers, any day she isn't ready.
After that, only we remain - Mira there, Elena beside her, myself too, fixed in the pale glow of early day.
"Come upstairs," Mira says. "Just for a little while."
After that, I get back in touch.
A cramped space, stuffy with things, far from the cold clean lines I know. Yet warmth lives here. This belongs to her. Reality settles in these walls.
Down goes Elena onto the couch - sleep takes her fast. A quiet look from Mira, fixed on Elena, before she shifts toward me.
"Thank you," she says quietly. "For everything."
"I didn't do - "
"You did. You called people. You fought. You stayed." She steps closer. "No one's ever stayed before."
A hand moves, sweeps one lock of hair aside from her cheek. I stay right here
A pause hangs there, her eyes locked on mine. Up she goes, onto the balls of her feet, lips meeting mine - this time it lands different. Not soft testing. Not holding back. A pulse instead of a whisper.
After pulling apart, breath comes fast for both of us.
"Wow," she whispers.
My face stretches into a dumb smile. Right. That's wild
Out of nowhere, she bursts into laughter - genuine, light - then drags me onto the sofa next to her. At the far edge, Elena stays deep in sleep; meanwhile, Mira shifts close, nestling against my shoulder, resting her forehead just below my jaw.
"This is crazy," she murmurs. "All of this. You. Me. Selena. It's insane."
"I know."
"We're going to figure it out?"
"We're going to figure it out."
For a second, she says nothing. Her voice comes through low - "Damen, I care about you."
Something about those words knocked the air out of me. My arms close around her, stronger now.
"I love you too, Mira. More than I knew it was possible to love anyone."
Floating on the edge of sleep, we stay tangled in sheets while light climbs across the floor. Broken bits of us fit close, held by quiet instead of promises.
Now, after ages, tomorrow seems within reach.
***
SELENA
Half past eight. Lying here in my room. Eyes open again. Morning light creeping through the window.
Hours now, Briar keeps ringing. Not once have I picked up. There's no way I can respond. Facing what she'd ask feels impossible - her uncertainty, that quiet worry building.
Mira has left. Investigating now is Harrison Cole. Tighter grow the walls every moment.
Something has to change. Before time runs out, a move must happen.
But what?
A sound comes from my pocket. It happens once more, yet this moment feels different.
"What?"
Hold on. Selena. That's Briar speaking - his words come out odd, tight. Wait a minute. There's something he has to say
"About what?"
"About Mira. About what we did. About - " She pauses. "About the fact that Harrison Cole called me this morning."
A chill crawls up my back. What could he possibly be after?
"He asked questions. About you. About me. About what happened to Mira's application." Another pause. "He knows, Selena. Not everything - but enough. He said if I cooperate, if I tell the truth, he'll make sure I'm not charged."
"And?"
"And I'm tired." Her voice cracks. "I'm tired of being scared. Tired of doing your dirty work. Tired of watching you destroy people because you can't have what you want."
"You're betraying me?"
"I'm saving myself." A shaky breath. "Goodbye, Selena."
Sound fades into silence. The connection breaks without warning. Nothing comes through now.
A tremor runs through my fingers as I look at the screen. The device feels heavy, alive, somehow watching back.
Briar stands by me like no one else does. This person knows my every move. Together we face whatever comes our way. Loyalty runs deep here, quiet but strong.
Gone.
I'm alone.
***
MIRA
Hours pass before my eyes open. The place feels hollow at first. A sharp jolt hits me - where is she? Then, sound: her words float out from the kitchen, aimed at another person.
Falling through the door, half-awake, I see her at the stove, flipping pancakes alongside Damen.
Over there, he's got on my apron, clearly two sizes too short, looks silly. Still manages pancakes without missing a beat, flips them like it's routine. Something came out of his mouth that made Elena laugh just now.
Faces turn toward me as I walk in.
"Morning, sleepyhead." Damen grins. "Pancakes?"
Leaning on the doorway, I pause. A sight that makes no sense sits right there. From some far-off place he seems, flipping pancakes where space barely fits a table. My child's laughter rises, something rare, now full and loud. He moves like he belongs, though everything says otherwise.
"Yeah," I say, smiling. "Pancakes sound perfect."
Elena bounces over, wraps her arms around my waist. "Damen's teaching me how to flip them. I almost got one on the ceiling."
"I'm sure you were graceful."
"I was extremely graceful."
Elbows knock as we squeeze onto mismatched chairs, reaching past one another for the syrup. The mess spills into laughter, a jumble of voices cutting through clinking dishes. Wonderful not despite the chaos - but because of it.
Home. That's what it feels like now, after so long. Years passed without this warmth. Suddenly, here it is again.
Once breakfast ends, Damen clears the plates as Elena prepares for class. Though she feels unsure about returning - afraid, really - we go over what's ahead. Karen will come along in the morning. In the afternoon, Marcus waits at dismissal. Not by herself, not this time.
After she walks away, hugging me hard at the very end, my attention shifts to Damen.
"What now?"
"Now we wait. Harrison's building his case. Briar's talking. It's only a matter of time."
"And Selena?"
"She'll get what's coming to her." He pulls me close. "But for now - for today - let's just... be. Okay?"
My head moves up and down on its own, resting against him. The rhythm matches something quiet inside.
Today, I'm sticking to doing nothing at all.
Tomorrow, we fight.