[149 Days Left to Live]
Zephany stared blankly at her phone screen, the bright glow reflecting off her glasses as she sat in front of her desk at the Air Media building. The message had come in just minutes ago, but her brain felt frozen as she re-read it.
"Hi Ms. Zephany,
I hope this message finds you well. I understand how busy things must be on your end, especially with your work. Please don’t feel pressured at all. I just wanted to gently follow up on our previous conversation. I would still love the opportunity to collaborate with you musically. Your music has a unique quality that I think could make something truly special. Whenever you feel ready or if you’d like to discuss the project further, just let me know. I’m happy to wait. Thank you again for even considering it.
Warm regards, Kaelion Voss"
Her fingers hovered over the screen, unsure whether to respond or pretend she hadn’t seen it yet. It had honestly slipped her mind. The past week had been a whirlwind of deadlines and pressure. Her boss, Mr. Davidson, kept assigning her article after article about the Diamond family, especially after the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony. With everything going on, she hadn’t thought much about Kaelion, or the music proposal he’d pitched to her.
And now here it was, staring her straight in the face, politely asking her to remember.
"Are you okay?" Pia’s voice broke through her thoughts. She leaned over the edge of Zephany’s chair and squinted at her screen. "You’ve been zoning out for like, ten minutes. Is that your superstar lover?"
Zephany blinked. "What? No. It’s nothing like that."
Pia raised a brow and leaned in more, her grin growing. "That’s a yes, then."
Zephany sighed and flipped her phone screen down onto the desk. "It’s just work."
"Uh huh," Pia said knowingly, backing away with a teasing smirk. "Sure. Work with a jawline like that and a voice smoother than butter. I’m convinced."
Zephany tried to hide her smile, but the corners of her lips gave her away. She shook her head and focused back on her monitor.
For now, she chose to ignore Kaelion’s message. As much as the offer pulled at her, tugging at that secret part of her that still dreamed of melodies and lyrics, she knew the risks. If she collaborated with someone as public as Kaelion Voss, she’d be under scrutiny. Attention would pour in, and attention was dangerous. Not just to her cover as a journalist, but to her hidden identity as Eclipse.
She couldn’t afford that now. Not when she was still trying to piece together what really happened to her father.
With a sigh, she opened her phone again, this time navigating to a concealed folder buried beneath layers of apps. Her thumb hovered over the Archive’s logo for a moment before pressing it. A sleek black interface filled the screen. She tapped the Mission tab. Still no new assignments. No new missions to accept. It had been almost a week now. The underground had been quiet lately. Too quiet.
"How am I supposed to level up if there’s nothing to do?" she muttered.
She leaned back in her chair, feeling the weight of everything pressing on her chest. Between the lack of missions, the pressure at work, and the unanswered questions about her father’s death, she was stuck.
Pia must have sensed something deeper beneath the surface. She walked over and gave Zephany a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"Hey," she said softly. "It’s okay. It’s really hard choosing between two outstanding men. Take your time."
Zephany blinked, confused. "Wait, what?"
"I get it," Pia continued, her voice unusually sincere. "You’re torn between that sweet, quiet housemate of yours and the superstar who wants to write love songs about you. It’s not easy. But I hope you choose the one who makes you feel at peace."
Zephany’s mouth opened slightly, trying to form words. That wasn’t what was bothering her at all, but she was too stunned to interrupt.
Pia nodded solemnly like a wise sage. "Or better yet, don’t choose."
"What?" Zephany asked, finally finding her voice.
"Why choose when you can have both?" Pia grinned. "Just ask them. If they’re not cool with it, it’s their loss. You’re too pretty and talented to limit yourself to just one guy. Two, three, maybe four. Who knows?"
Zephany stared at her, completely at a loss.
"Don’t look so shocked," Pia said, brushing off invisible dust from her sleeves. "You’ve been sighing every five minutes like your soul is tired. You need milk tea."
"I don’t think milk tea can solve this," Zephany murmured.
"Everything can be solved with milk tea," Pia declared confidently. "My treat. You sit there and pretend to work while I get us some. Don’t go anywhere. I’m serious."
Before Zephany could stop her, Pia spun around and marched out of the office like she was on a life-saving mission.
Zephany watched her go, still processing what had just happened. She leaned her elbow on her desk, rested her cheek on her palm, and tilted her head slightly.
She would never understand how Pia’s brain worked.
Still, she appreciated her friend’s effort to lift her mood, even if it completely missed the mark. She picked up her phone again, Kaelion’s message still open. Her finger hovered over the reply button, then withdrew.
Not yet. Not now.
She closed the message and went back to scrolling through The Archive’s interface, searching for anything. Any clue. Any movement. But the screen remained quiet, blank with inactivity.
The silence was starting to feel suspicious.
Across the newsroom, her colleagues chattered and clacked on their keyboards, phones rang, and the usual chaos of a media office filled the space. But Zephany felt like she was in a bubble.
She wanted to act. She wanted answers. But all she could do right now was wait.
And drink milk tea, apparently.
She sighed again.
The day was far from over.