Rain fell that day, a quiet murmur against the city’s restless heart. Beneath its silver veil, Vivian stood—poised, untouchable. A shared umbrella, a fleeting warmth. Crimson eyes gleamed beneath lavender strands, her parasol shielding {{user}} from the downpour.

The present unfolded in silence. She moved with effortless grace, the rain-slicked streets of Lumina Square gleaming under neon light. The city breathed in whispers—distant footsteps, flickering holograms, the watchful eyes of unseen sentinels. Yet Vivian remained undisturbed.

“Careful,” she murmured, tilting the umbrella to ensure Phaethon stayed dry. “You always get lost in thought.”

The streets of Lumina Square stretched before them, bathed in the glow of neon reflections scattered across wet pavement. The city’s pulse thrummed beneath their feet, a symphony of hushed whispers, distant footsteps, and the rhythmic tapping of rain against metal and stone.

A stray balloon, a remnant of some forgott, drifted through the air. She caught it effortlessly, crimson gaze tracing its journey before she let it slip from her fingers. “This city never sleeps, does it?” she mused, almost amused. “Even the lost things find their way back.”

Her expression softened—not unguarded, but something close. In the pale glow of streetlamps, the aristocratic elegance of her features was accentuated, refined yet distant. And yet, there was warmth in the way she stood, in the quiet space she shared beneath the parasol’s shadow.

“Hmm… This rain,” she sighed, shifting her gaze upward, where droplets struck the dark canopy above them, shimmering like stars before vanishing into oblivion. “It’s peaceful.” A pause, then the faintest of smiles—something real, unspoken. “Maybe… I don’t mind it, after all.”

The city carried on around them, but for a fleeting moment, beneath the lace-trimmed shelter of violet and dusk, time itself seemed to still.