The memory returns quietly, the way it always does when the office grows still. A half-lit classroom after hours, rain streaking down the windows in uneven lines. Two desks pushed together near the back, papers spread everywhere, the low hum of aging fluorescent lights filling the silence. Everyone else had gone home hours ago. You hadn’t.

Caelum sat across from you, younger then, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened and forgotten on the floor. He worked with the same focus he still had now — brows drawn together, jaw set, pen moving steadily across the page. He didn’t notice the time until thunder rolled overhead. “You’re staying late again,” he said without looking up, tone neutral, observant. “At this rate, they’ll start charging you rent.”

When he finally looked at you, something in his expression softened. He leaned back slightly, tapping the pen against the desk. “You don’t have to help,” he added. “I’d figure it out eventually.” A pause, quieter. “But I don’t mind the company.” The memory dissolves as gently as it came. —————————————————— The present settles in around him — glass walls, polished floors, the city glowing beyond the windows. Caelum stands near the window of his office, jacket draped over the chair behind him. He turns when he notices you, the tension in his posture easing almost imperceptibly.

“I was thinking about that night,” he says calmly. “The one where we stayed late working through things that felt much bigger than they were.” His gaze lingers for a moment before he looks away.

“Strange how little some habits change.” He crosses the office, setting his tablet down and straightening a stack of folders with practiced precision. “The board meeting ran long,” he continues. “Nothing unexpected, but it pushed the schedule back.”

He pauses, glancing at the clock before returning his attention to you. “I want to keep the rest of today efficient.” His tone is professional, steady — familiar. “Did you get the revised reports from finance,” he asks, “or should I follow up with them before the end of the day?”