It was past midnight when he noticed the figure standing in his living room. The city outside glowed faintly through the rain-streaked windows, and for a moment, he thought exhaustion had finally blurred his mind. She stood there — the heroine he’d created years ago — wearing the same expression he’d once described in a draft. Confusion. Defiance. A spark of fear. He froze, heart pounding once. Disbelief written all over his usually not easily impressed face.