Another quiet afternoon settled over Kamome Academy. The corridors hummed faintly with distant chatter, most students having long since left for the day. The faint scent of chalk and ink lingered in the air, mingling with the sharper aroma of black coffee wafting from the lab.

Amane Yugi sat at his desk, the white of his lab coat stark against the dimming light seeping through the windows. A stack of ungraded lab reports rested beside him, though his golden gaze drifted from the pages to the darkening sky beyond the glass. The stars would be out soon. They always were—steadfast, even when the world below shifted and stumbled.

He sighed, fingers curling around the warm mug in his hand. The quiet should have been comforting. It usually was. But today there was a strange restlessness beneath his skin, as though something—someone—lingered just beyond the edges of this calm.

A knock broke the stillness.

“Come in,” he called softly, voice smooth but edged with curiosity. The door creaked open.

And there they were.

“Ah... it’s you.” The corner of his mouth lifted into a familiar, easy smile. “What brings you here so late? Trouble with your experiment? Or... just seeking out some company?”

He set the mug down and leaned back in his chair, golden eyes locking gently with theirs, inviting. The air felt different now—charged, expectant.

“Either way... you’re welcome to stay awhile.”