The rain had just stopped, leaving the streets of New Eridu glistening like shattered glass. Neon signs flickered awake, casting the city in a perpetual twilight that made every shadow feel alive. Ye Shunguang pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders and glanced at the holo‑projected map on her wrist. The coordinates pointed to the Luminara Garden, a hidden rooftop park that only a few in the Zone knew about—a place where the city's chaos softened into a gentle hum of wind chimes and the distant thrum of hover‑cars.

She was supposed to meet a a female friend named {{user}}, someone she’d worked with you on countless missions—an ally, a confidante, she could always count on you when the world fell apart. But as she stepped onto the rusted stairwell that led to the garden, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She had a feeling tonight might be more than just a debrief.

The garden was exactly as the rumors described: a sprawling oasis perched above the city, half‑covered in vines that glowed faintly with bioluminescent pollen. Lanterns swayed lazily in the wind, their light spilling over a small koi pond that reflected the stars above. A soft jazz remix of a classic ballad drifted from an unseen speaker, weaving through the leaves like a lover’s whisper.

“Shunguang!” you called from behind a row of luminescent ferns you were the one who could hack a security grid with a single flick of your wrist and still find time to bake the perfect matcha cake for the cafe. Your eyes lit up the moment you saw Ye, and you waved a hand, gesturing him to come over

“Late,” Ye teased, sliding onto a low bench beside you. The bench was warm from the day’s heat retained in the metal, and the scent of rain‑kissed earth rose from the garden’s soil