Enough of the holiday cheer had been consumed. For Kage, it had been one of the most memorable holidays of his life, second only to the fading memories of childhood celebrations with his parents. Already fading as in he failed to remember most of what happened.Deep down, he yearned to solidify those precious moments in his heart, knowing that soon their voices would fade completely, leaving only the echoes of their presence in his soul. Well, Kage trust he would always remember them.As he dressed, his movements careful not to disturb Johanna, he watched her in the mirror, a growing conflict raging within him. Should he involve her in the whirlpool that was about to consume his life?Their gazes locked in the reflection, and Kage immediately averted his eyes, a sense of guilt washing over him. It wasn't as simple as casually saying, "Hey, so my old best friend tried to kill me, is probably stealing from my company, and I demand justice." Kage couldn't help but wonder if Johanna

Almost an hour and John had been in with the police. Of course, Alfie was with him, but it was absurd—John didn’t have anything to do with Clara. He doubted they had ever even spoken to each other.Mondays didn’t seem too busy at the police station. Back at the hospital, Mondays used to be one of the busiest days—people coming in from their weekend bad decisions and all.Kage sat waiting. His gaze moved toward a man slowly trying to lift his phone. For the sake of his company’s reputation and privacy, Kage didn’t want to be photographed there.“Would you please not do that,” he said to the man.The man shrugged, bringing the phone closer as he smirked. He clearly didn’t have anything good in his heart.“I can be famous,” he muttered.Irritated, Kage leaned forward as if wanting the man to see him clearly. “Well, we’re in the police station, so it would be easy to file a complaint. And again, I have every right not to be photographed. So if you want to go against that and I sue you… I

BANGBANGBANGClara jerked awake, disoriented. She’d fallen asleep on the couch watching some mind-numbing reality show.Rubbing her face, she glanced around the messy apartment, her gaze unfocused. She fumbled for the remote, silencing the blaring TV just as the loud banging echoed on the door again. Lazily, she pushed herself up and shuffled toward the entrance.Before opening it, she paused, a flicker of thought crossing her mind.Was it a delivery from last night?Nah. She hadn’t ordered anything. Just downed some pills, ate milk with crunchy peanut cereal, and succumbed to the allure of bad TV. She grinned, the image of her own chaotic evening amusing her. But it was a last hurrah, she knew. Tonight, she'd be settling into her new place.Swinging the door open, Clara wasn't surprised to see Matt. Not that she'd been expecting him, but he had a knack for appearing unannounced. It was just… him.His eyes darted around, scanning the apartment like a cornered animal. He was paranoid

That evening was crisp, the air biting with a promise of frost. And maybe frostbite.Kage, bundled in a thick robe, watched Johanna from the edge of the pool. The heated water steamed in the cold air, reflecting the silvery glow of the moon. He shivered. He wondered how she could bear it.Johanna sliced through the water, a graceful, almost ethereal figure in the moonlight. She reached the floating wooden table, her movements fluid and effortless, and plucked a glass of wine from its surface. She swam to Kage.He looked pitiful. Too pitiful but cute. She love it.“You look frozen,” she said, grinning and look dead in his eyes. “I knew you didn’t cook, but I had some hope you could boil something at least?"Kage laughed, the sound echoing in the stillness of the night. "I did manage a few things a couple years back" he admitted, though the memory left a bitter taste in his mouth. He quickly brushed it away. Those where his eyes with Clara.She held out the wine glass, offering him a sip

The car hadn't traveled far from the house when Clara caught Rania glancing at her. There was something in Rania's eyes that irked Clara – a mixture of pity and apprehension, as if she were some wounded animal, fragile and unpredictable.For Pete's sake!"So, Nina said you should be careful," Rania began, her voice carefully neutral, as if she was talking to a child. "Matt is still in police custody and won't be getting out anytime soon. Mr. Kage's lawyer confirmed he would see Nina soon. If you're called upon, you'll be contacted. But until then, make sure you don't go anywhere or do anything… irrational. You're a person of interest, and running off or doing anything foolish could… well, you know. One wrong move, and you'll be in cuffs."Clara scoffed, turning her face towards the window. The city lights blurred into streaks of color, reflecting the turmoil within her.She looked down at her hands, her cracked nails, her dry, ashy skin. She hadn't eaten in days, and her stomach w