POV: Evan
Evan pushed the door open and stepped inside his house. The layout looked almost the same as Ethan's — neat, clean, and a little too quiet. The second he entered, his smile faded. The silence hit harder than usual.
He dropped his bag on the couch, turned on the television, and stared at the screen for a few seconds. Some news about another explosion near the Nexus Tower. He sighed, grabbed the remote, and turned it off.
The quiet returned.
Evan walked to his desk and pulled out a small diary. On the next clean page, he wrote:
D-189
Below it, he added:
Ethan got distracted again. This time, it was an extra.
He paused, tapping the pen against the edge of the book. He didn't write about the guilt, but he knew it was there — like always.
He closed the diary and leaned back in his chair, letting out another sigh.
"Here we go again," he muttered. "How am I going to fix this one?"
A memory hit him — sharp and sudden.
A man in a black suit, older but still strong, with grey streaks in his hair and a face that didn't match the youth of his body. He was shouting at Evan
"Get out. Now!"
Evan stood in the corner, silent. He remembered that day too well — taking the blame for Ethan again.
He rubbed his face and stood up. "It's always me cleaning up after him."
He stepped out and walked down the street toward the park. The sky had that faint orange tint of the inner zone's artificial sunset. When he reached the park, he saw Ethan sitting on a bench across from him.
Evan smiled a little and walked over.
"Hey," he called.
Ethan looked up and smiled back. "Hey yourself."
They talked for a while — light talk, old jokes, nothing too deep. For a moment, it felt normal again.
"So, how's Sally?" Evan asked.
"She's good," Ethan said. "Still chewing on things she shouldn't."
They both laughed.
Ethan tilted his head. "Where are you heading?"
Evan forced a small smile. "Just grabbing some groceries."
"Groceries, huh?" Ethan raised a brow.
"Yeah. Just groceries."
Evan waved and walked away. But his steps didn't lead toward the store.
Instead, he turned toward the Nexus Tower — its blue lights cutting through the night sky. Near its base stood a smaller building, half-hidden by the glowing signs around it.
Evan entered quietly. Inside, the air was warm, and a faint smell of tea hung in the air. At a table sat the man from his flashback — the one in the black suit. His cup glowed faintly, something magical rippling across its surface.
The man looked up, his face hardening.
"What is it this time?" he asked.
Evan tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"It's… complicated," he said, the words coming out like a lie and a confession all at once.