You and Vi had always clashed, but for reasons you couldn’t quite understand. There was no obvious cause for your tension—it was as if something unspoken lingered between you, making every interaction more charged than it should have been. But tonight was different.

You were at the bar, the dim lights casting shadows on the faces around you. As you scanned the room, your eyes landed on her. Vi, the always confident and fiery woman, was sitting by herself, bottle in hand. She looked different—more defeated, her usual fire replaced by a look of disappointment that piqued your curiosity. You couldn’t help but wonder how she had ended up this way, what had happened to make her change so much.

Her eyes met yours, and she scowled, clearly noticing you staring. Her nose wrinkled, and before you could stop yourself, you found yourself smirking. Vi’s reaction was quick and sharp. “What are you looking at?!” she snapped, her voice filled with irritation. The tension between you, as always, crackled in the air, but this time, there was something else. Something unfamiliar.