West District.
Amber Valley. 11:00 pm
Slow blues drifted through the room. Galaxy lights shimmered across the walls, and a small fish tank whispered with the sound of bubbling water. Lucas hadn't moved since he arrived—he finished the last of his work, still as stone. Ashley sat beside him, she scrolled and typed on her phone, her screen lit her face in soft pulses. Suddenly a knock came at the door. Soft at first, then firmer; Ashley and Lucas exchanged a quick look. The knock came again, harder this time. Ashley flinched; Lucas didn't. He kept his eyes on her.
"You going to get that?" Lucas asked. "Why don't get it?" Ashley shot back, her voice a little scared. The knocking didn't stop. It came again, steadier this time, like whoever was on the other side wasn't planning to leave.
"It's your house…" Lucas blatantly teased. "Yeah—but I'm scared." Ashley confessed, her voice shrunk into a whisper. Lucas got up from the chair "OK." hesaid quietly.
He walked toward the door. Once he reached it, he leaned in and peeped through the peephole. A man stood outside…still, a delivery bag hung from his shoulder, and long curls hid his eyes. "Hey, Ashley." Lucas said as he glanced back at her. "Did you order some pizza?" Ashley blinked, then gasped lightly. "Oh yeah! I totally forgot." She jolted from her seat, phone still in hand, and her steps quick. Once she reached the door beside Lucas, she unlocked it and opened.
Cold air drifted in from the hallway. The man with the delivery bag stood there, motionless, his curls still hid his face. He didn't speak. "Hey, how are you?" Ashley greeted, she forced a kind tone. The man didn't respond. Instead, he reached into the delivery bag and pulled out two large pizza boxes, he held them out to them. "That'll be twenty bucks." the man said his tone lazy—almost unbothered. Ashley fumbled in her bag for her wallet. Lucas just watched the man silently, his expression unreadable.
Lucas's brow furrowed "Damn—you're not gonna greet back?" Lucas asked. "Do you have twenty bucks or not?" the man's tone was suddenly more aggressive. Ashley clicked her tongue "Whatever, here's twenty bucks." she muttered. The man accepted it silently and placed the two pizza boxes in her hands. Without another word, he left and walked away, his curls still hid his face as he disappeared down the alleyway.
"What the fuck is his problem?" Lucas asked. Ashley shook her head. "Doesn't matter—let's go." she said as he closed the door behind her with a soft click. They made their way back into her bedroom. Ashley set the pizza boxes on her nightstand with a soft thud. Lucas sat on his seat; Lucas's eyes fixed somewhere between the room and the closed door. "Hey… don't think too hard." Ashley said, she settled beside him. "We should take a rest."
"Don't worry about it." Lucas replied, his eyes still fixed on the papers before him. "Just gonna complete the work—then I'll leave.", Ashley let out a quiet sigh and studied him for a moment. "No—how about we watch a movie together?" Ashley suggested. She nudged the laptop slightly toward him, a small smile tugged on her lips.
"I don't know…" Lucas said hesitantly. "Awe, come on—it'll be fun." Ashley persuaded. "OK… what are we going to watch?" Lucas asked, finally drawn into her enthusiasm. "Don't worry about it." Ashley replied— she got up and searched "I'll pick a movie—but first, I'm gonna take a shower." She reached behind her door and grabbed her towel, it draped it over her arm. "Alright, guess I'm going to wait for you." Lucas said confidently.
"Yeah—I guess you will." Ashley replied with a small smile—she made her way into the bathroom, then she disappeared behind the door.
157. PINE STREET.
69 MIMIC. 10:53 PM.
The music was barely audible in their presence, drowned out by the harsh glare of the lights that sliced across the room. Tension crackled in the air, thick and unrelenting. Stephen sat still as a statue; eyes locked on Adriana, she's sassy and she brimmed with excitement—held his gaze without flinching. For a heated moment, they just stared at each other, the silence speaking louder than any words. Eventually. "Hey." Stephen greeted.
"Hey." Adriana replied, her tone playful yet charged with daring. "What are you doing here?" Stephen asked.
Adriana's eyes scanned him from head to toe. "I could ask you the same thing." she replied. "Well, I came here with Antonio." Stephen stated confidently, his posture straightened. "Oh really? then where is he?" Adriana asked. Stephen looked around, his eyes scanning the room. "Oh shit… we probably got separated when we were trying to leave." he said, a mix of embarrassment and nonchalance in his tone. Adriana giggled lightly "Yeah, sure." she replied. "So…How've you been?" he asked. "I've been trying—you know, but I can't seem to… adjust." Adriana stated, a trace of vulnerability hidden beneath her sass.
"So… you decided to adjust in Luci's home?" Stephen replied cunningly. "What? besides, Six-Nine is way better than just sleeping at home." Adriana responded. "And how about you? How've you been?"
"I would be lying if I said I was alright." Stephen replied, a hint of weariness lingered. "But a man's gotta' do… what a man has to do."
"And does that man go to a fucked-up club, knowing he's a married man?" Adriana asked. Stephen grinned faintly "Clubbing has nothing to do with marriages." he said. Then suddenly the crowd erupted. Shouts and laughter filled the air as the DJ hyped them up, the bass beaten through the floor. Lights strobed across their faces.
Adriana laughed softly "This isn't just any club—this is THE CLUB… controlled by the dominions." she stated. As she held her gaze on Stephen. "Well, since we're in 'The Club', how about this married man treats you to a drink?" Stephen asked smoothly. "Sure." Adriana replied.
"But let's get out of here." Stephen suggested. "What! I just got here—do you know how long I had to wait in line?" a playful pout forming as she crossed her arms. "Just trust me, Adri." Stephen said, as he marched his way to the exit. Adriana hesitated at first, a playful frown crossed her face, but eventually she started following him.
She caught up with Stephen, and together they made their way out of 69 Mimic. Once outside, Stephen paused and scanned the area with sharp eyes. "So, where are we going?" Adriana asked. "Tommy's, remember it?" Stephen replied.
Adriana leaned in closer to him "Awe… I remember that place. It was the first time we went on a date." she said. Stephen's gaze softened as she wrapped her arms around his, a quiet warmth settled between them amidst the cool night air. But Stephen forgot one thing—he had come with Antonio, and Antonio wasn't anywhere to be seen… or was he? Cars lined the street, and people moved in scattered clusters, it was nearly impossible to spot anyone clearly. Yet, from across the road, a familiar figure stood under the harsh glow of the iconic Jack's Liquor sign. Antonio leaned casually against the wall, a cigarette dangled from his fingers, and beside him, Amanda smoked silently.
Amanda pointed across the road "Looks like you won't be needing my plan anymore." Amanda said. Antonio wasted no time. He pulled out his cellphone and snapped multiple pictures of Stephen and Adriana standing together, the camera clicks barely audible over the street noise but heavy with intent. "Nah, this is all I need." Antonio replied casually, as he scrolled through the pictures with a faint smirk, his eyes glinted under the glow of the Jack's Liquor sign.
CRYSTAL AVENUE. 11:03 PM.
The house was unnaturally quiet. The sprinklers had stopped; it left the lawn still and damp. The TV in the living room glowed silently, casted shadows that flickered among the walls. Katherine paced in Akirá's bedroom, her mind wrestled with her actions, her thoughts verbalized in low, anxious murmurs. A sudden cry pierced the silence—Mila's. Katherine froze, then bolted from her son's room. As she approached Mila's cot, the cries stopped abruptly. Katherine leaned over and lift her baby in her arms. She gently rocked Mila; she murmured soothing words. "Shh… mommy's here… shh" Katherine whispered, a soft smile spread across her face as she brushed a strand of hair from Mila's forehead.
The soft sounds of the pacifier being chewed on created a gentle pulse. Katherine pressed her cheek gently against Mila's head, while they rocked slowly. Gradually, the baby's eyelids grew heavier, and she dozed off.
Suddenly, her cellphone buzzed. Katherine set Mila safely in her arms and walked steadily to her dressing table. She pulled out her phone, then sat on the chair. The screen lit up as she scrolled, and then she saw a message from Antonio. She opened it; 'Meet me at 153 JACK'S. We have to talk!'
The words lingered on the screen; it cut through the quiet serenity of the room. 'Why? And where is Stephen?' Katherine typed quickly, her fingers trembled slightly. Almost instantly, another message appeared from Antonio; 'It's about Stephen.' Katherine's eyes widened, confusion and unease crept into her thoughts. 'What do you mean?! Antonio where is Stephen?' she sent, but no reply followed. Frustrated and anxious, she tried to call him, but it went straight to voicemail. Her pulse quickened, and a knot of worry settled deep in her stomach. "Motherfucker… he switched his phone off." Katherine muttered, her voice edged with anger. Her fingers tightened around the phone— tension coiled in her shoulders.
She rose from the chair and marched out of the room while Mila is cradled in her arms. Once she Reached Tokyo's bedroom door, Katherine knocked softly. No answer. The hallway remained still, the faint hum of the television the only sound that lingered through the house. "Tokyo, please—if you're awake, I need your help." Katherine called softly, her tone kind yet edged with quiet desperation. She waited, her ear close against to the door. Katherine waited for a moment longer, then finally— the door creaked open. she just stood in front of her. "What?" Tokyo asked, her voice low and groggy. "I need you to take care your sister, make sure she falls asleep." Katherine said softly, she rocked Mila gently in her arms.
"What! why?" Tokyo asked, her brows furrowed. "I need to go somewhere." Katherine replied.
"Somewhere like?" Tokyo asked. "It's your father." Katherine said. "I think he's in trouble."
Tokyo crossed her arms then clicked her tongue— she rolled her eyes intently "Oh my God!… fine." she groaned "But I get to come back home anytime I want for the rest of the year." she demanded. "What!" Katherine yelped. "Fine—guess you don't need my help." Tokyo responded.
"OK, fine… but only four days a week." Katherine countered.
Tokyo cleared her throat loudly "All right, five days a week." Katherine amended. "Deal." Tokyo replied, she took Mila into her arms, her expression softened as she gently rocked her little sister. "I'll be back later." Katherine said. "Their bottles are in the fridge." Tokyo returned to her room, cradled Mila carefully, while Katherine quickly went downstairs. She grabbed her keys and coat and stepped out the door into the cool night.
WEST DISTRICT.
Amber Valley. 11:11 pm.
Lucas scrolled through his cellphone absentmindedly; he bit of his pizza. Then Ashley stepped out of the bathroom, she wore a flowing nightgown. Lucas froze, his eyes locked onto her, dumbfounded for a moment as he took in the sight. "You ready?" Ashley asked.
"I've been ready since the day I was born." Lucas replied confidently. Ashley laughed softly. "Too corny?" he smirked. "No… don't worry about it." Ashley said, her eyes met his. Lucas took another bite of his pizza "Anyways—what are we gonna' watch?" he asked.
A mysterious glint shaped in her eyes. "Destiny Awaits." she suggested. "Oh… what is it about?" Lucas asked. "Enough with the questions, pretty boy." Ashley teased. Ashley moved closer. She turned on her fish tank light, and a massive image filled the wall as the projector hummed to life from the back of the room. Lucas leaned back slightly, the glow rippled across Ashley's face, the room now bathed in the film's warm. "Your room is unique—in a chaotic way." he remarked. "Chaotic, huh? I'll take that as a compliment." she said.
She pressed a button on the remote, and the film began. The room dimmed further, the projector casted the opening scenes across the wall. The soft flicker of light danced over their faces; the sound of the movie filled the quiet space around them.
Ashley slid onto the couch next to Lucas, she picked up a slice of pizza. The bass from the stereo faded in slowly blended with the opening scenes of the movie. Lucas stole a glance at her, the soft light of the projector highlighting her features. Ashley tucked her legs under her, and for a moment, the world outside seemed to disappear. Somewhere else in San El Zorro, streets hummed with activity, and not all stories were this quiet. But for now, in this room, the tension of the city could wait.