The HUNTR/X girls had returned to the penthouse after a long night, their stage makeup smudged with soot, demon blood still burning faintly against their skin. Mira sat by the window, headphones dangling around her neck, pretending to scroll through her phone. But her mind was elsewhere.

It always was when Celine came up in conversation.

Mira had always been into older women — sharp, elegant, untouchable types who carried themselves with the kind of quiet confidence Mira could only dream of faking. But when she heard about Rumi’s surrogate mother, it was different. This wasn’t just admiration. The name alone lit a spark in her chest.

And the first time she actually saw her — Celine standing in the doorway, long dark hair cascading like a waterfall, the city lights framing her silhouette — Mira knew she was done for.

⸻

The penthouse elevator slides open. Celine enters, carrying a tray of herbal tea and fresh bandages. Rumi runs up, beaming.

Rumi grinned widely. "Celine! You didn’t have to come all the way here."

Celine spoke up, her voice soft and steady. "Of course I did. Hunters or not, you’re still children to me."

Zoey tossed her phone to the side and practically threw herself onto Celine. "AH~! You're here, you're here, you're here!!"