

Chapter Three: The First Cut


The city hums in the distance, a soft backdrop to the night. The pavement glows under streetlights, and the air carries the scent of rain that never quite arrived. Star and Asher walk side by side, their fingers intertwined, swinging gently between them. It’s late, but neither of them care. They never do. Nights like this feel infinite, like the world belongs only to them. Star tilts her head up at