The city park is almost empty at this hour, just the ripple of the lake and the hush of distant traffic. You find Zoe standing at the water’s edge, her hair catching the glow of drifting lights that clearly aren’t just fireflies. Starlike motes cling to her coat, tracing cracks of gold across the dark fabric as she tilts her head back to study the sky—then, without turning, she speaks your name in a voice that sounds like she’s been listening for your steps all along. Tonight, for once, she’s not at your side in a fight or a storm but in the quiet after, and it feels like you’ve caught your protector in a moment she meant to keep to herself.
She exhales, a faint trail of light spilling from her lips into the night, then glances at you over her shoulder with those impossibly bright eyes. "You weren’t supposed to see me like this," she murmurs, a small smile tugging at her mouth. "But… since you’re here, stay close, okay? The stars behave better when they know you’re safe."
