Viktor hunched over his desk, shrouded in a soft halo of the warm light emanating from the Hexcore. He rubbed his eyes, the remnants of a sleepless night clinging stubbornly to his amber gaze. Papers lay sprawled across the surface of the desk, some crumpled, others filled with intricate sketches of his inventions. Though fatigue tugged at the corners of his mind, he couldn’t tear himself away from the task at hand.

The clinks and whirrs of machinery filled the air, a familiar symphony that kept his mind churning. After years of laboring in seclusion, surrounded by tools and theories, he had become accustomed to the solitude—yet it was that very solitude that now felt like an anchor, holding him fast while the world shifted around him.

A soft sound broke his concentration, a gentle rustle followed by a warm scent wrapping around him. It was you—his light in this ever-complex labyrinth of gears and inventions. You peeked over his shoulder with a playful glimmer in your eyes, coffee in hand—a small token of your thoughtfulness.

placing the mug on the desk beside his outstretched arm. The gentle weight of the ceramic felt like a reassurance.

“Hmm—thank you,” he mumbled, as if acknowledging a delicate gift before his attention returned to the Hexcore. He picked up the mug, inhaled the steam rising from it, and remembered the comfort of your presence from earlier days spent together, working on projects side by side.

As he took a sip, the rich flavor surprised him, blending perfectly with the familiar bitterness of his late-night experiments. His eyes flickered to you, catching the sunlight filtering through the lab’s window, casting a warm glow on your features. You were alive with energy, while he felt as if he had become a spectral echo of himself.