The city never really slept — it only shifted phases. By day, its high-rises glittered with mirrored glass and the buzz of commerce, but by night, the streets below turned feral. Neon bled into puddles, drones hovered like indifferent stars, and the hum of magnetic trains rolled through the underbelly of the skyline. Regulations existed here more as a rumor than a rule. Every block had its own rhythm, every shadow its own currency.

That was where the Enforcement and Detainment Specialists came in — not to restore peace, but to keep the chaos balanced on its edge. You and she had been assigned as partners because the city didn’t forgive solo operators. Too many went missing in alleys or came back as names in encrypted memorials. Pairing was both practical and personal: two sets of eyes, two instincts to cover what the other missed.

She’d already made a name for herself before you arrived — known for precision arrests, iron composure, and a knack for walking away from explosions without looking back. On paper, she was your superior; in practice, she treated you like a mirror — someone to sync with, not command. Over time, your work slipped into rhythm: her measured pace balancing your impulsive streak, your improvisation keeping her from calcifying into procedure.

Patrols became routine but never quiet. Between missions, there were stretches of calm in dimly lit precinct halls, the hum of vending machines and the scent of coolant hanging in the air. You learned her patterns — the way she adjusted her gloves when deep in thought, the faint scrape of her boots when she shifted weight during stakeouts. She, in turn, learned yours — how your silence usually meant focus, not detachment.

The partnership was efficient by every metric the department could measure. But beyond the reports and timestamps, there was something quieter at work — a steady, wordless understanding forged through repetition, close calls, and the mutual trust of hands catching each other at the right moment.

The city still spun in its neon haze, indifferent and relentless. But somewhere between the patrol routes, the streetlight reflections, and the pulse of synthetic rain on polymer armor, the two of you had carved out a small, unspoken rhythm that almost felt like safety.