I hummed a tune I’d forgotten the name of while arranging a plate of cheese, crackers, and sliced apples on the kitchen counter. The entire apartment looked spotless—impressive considering the hurricane of clothes, shopping bags, and takeout boxes that had dominated the space just hours ago.

My phone buzzed with a message from Mera: How’s the snack arrangement coming along?

I snapped a picture of my setup and sent it over.

The response arrived instantly: Could use more meat. You know, like your other girlfriends provide.

I chuckled. Mera never missed an opportunity to make everything sexual. Before I could respond, another message from Cheon came through on our group chat:

Make sure you offer her tea. Not everyone likes coffee like you do. And don’t hover when she sits down. Give her space to breathe. And don’t—

The front desk buzzer interrupted her undoubtedly long list of instructions.

"Mr. D’Angelo," the security guard announced, "there’s a young lady here to see you. Aurora Fitzgerald?"

My stomach did a weird flip. "Thanks, Carl. Tell her I’ll be right down."

I checked myself in the hallway mirror one last time. White t-shirt, dark jeans, casual but not sloppy. Hair doing that perfect thing it always does thanks to Specimen. The bite marks on my neck had faded significantly thanks to Hard to Kill, though a few still showed if you knew where to look.

The elevator ride down gave me time to consider my approach. Aurora wasn’t Cheon, who needed to be pushed out of her comfort zone, or Mera, who responded to direct challenge. Aurora was... different. Earnest. The main girl from the story I was hijacking.

When the doors opened to the lobby, I spotted her immediately. Aurora stood near the water feature, wearing a white cropped shirt that showed a tantalizing strip of skin above distressed jeans that hugged curves that had no business being on a hero student. Her dark hair fell loose around her shoulders, catching light from the overhead fixtures in a way that made the gold highlights shimmer.

Holy shit, she looked good. Like, "forget how to form sentences" good.

"Hey," I called, forcing casual confidence into my voice. "You found the place okay?"

Aurora turned, and her smile hit me like a physical force. "Your building is kinda hard to miss. It’s the tallest one in this district."

"That tracks. My father isn’t big on subtlety." I stepped closer, and the familiar scent of her—something floral mixed with what I now recognized as her Essentia—filled my nose. "I was thinking. We don’t have to go straight upstairs if you don’t want to."

Her green eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"

"There’s a nice cafe around the corner. If you’d rather talk somewhere public first."

Understanding dawned on her face, followed by a slight flush across her cheeks. "You think I’m nervous about being alone with you."

"Aren’t you?"

Her chin lifted in that small defiant way I was starting to recognize. "Should I be?"

"Depends on what you think I’m going to do."

She studied me for a moment, clutching the small bag that presumably contained the coffee she’d promised to bring. "The cafe does sound nice, actually."

"Great." I gestured toward the revolving door. "After you."

Outside, the afternoon sun bathed downtown Century City in golden light. We walked side by side, close enough that our arms occasionally brushed, sending little sparks of awareness through my skin. I kept my hands firmly in my pockets. The last thing I needed was another accidental drain situation.

"This is weird, right?" Aurora said suddenly.

"Which part?"

"Us. Walking together like we’re friends." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "People from school would be shocked."

"Because of my reputation?"

"Because of everything." She glanced at me. "Two days ago I barely knew you existed. Now we’re getting coffee."

"Technically, you already brought coffee," I pointed out, nodding at her bag.

"It’s probably cold by now anyway."

We reached the cafe—a small place called Beans & Things with outdoor seating and fairy lights strung across the patio. I chose a table in the corner, away from other patrons.

"What can I get you?" I asked after she sat down.

"Vanilla latte with oat milk."

"Sweet tooth?"

Her lips quirked. "Problem with that?"

"Not at all." I headed inside, ordered her latte and a black coffee for myself, then returned with our drinks.

Aurora wrapped her hands around her mug, steam rising between us. "So."

"So," I echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"I have questions."

"I figured you might."

She took a sip of her latte, leaving a small foam mustache that she quickly wiped away with a napkin. "When you took my hand yesterday, something happened. Something... physical. Like electricity but not painful. What was that?"

Direct approach. I could respect that.

"That was my Essentia responding to yours," I said carefully. Not a lie, just incomplete.

"I’ve touched other people with Essentia before. It never felt like that."

"Maybe we’re just compatible."

Her eyes narrowed. "Is that what you tell all the girls?"

"Only the ones who ask."

She set her mug down with a sharp clink. "You’re deflecting."

"And you’re interrogating. Yet here we sit, having coffee anyway."

Aurora leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Look, I need to understand what’s happening here. When you touched me, I felt... I don’t know how to describe it."

"Good?" I suggested.

The flush on her cheeks deepened. "That’s not the point."

"It seems like an important data point."

She closed her eyes briefly, clearly frustrated. "Did you do something to me on purpose?"

"No." This, at least, was completely true. "The reaction was spontaneous. Mutual."

"So you felt it too?"

I nodded. "Like a circuit closing."

Aurora stared into her coffee, processing. "And Mera and Hae-Won... they experience this too? When you touch them?"

"Yes."

"And they’re okay with it?"

"More than okay. They understand what it is."

"Which is what, exactly?" Her green eyes locked on mine, demanding truth.

I took a slow breath. "My Essentia responds to certain people. Creates a feedback loop. Transfers energy."

"Energy." She repeated the word flatly.

"You felt it. The warmth that spread through your body. That was your Essentia responding to mine."

Aurora’s gaze dropped to my hand resting on the table. "And if you touched me again?"

My heart rate kicked up a notch. "It would happen again."

"Show me."

"Here?" I glanced around the patio.

"Why not? If it’s just a normal Essentia reaction, there’s nothing to hide."

Clever girl. She was testing me, seeing if I’d refuse in public.

"Alright." I extended my hand, palm up. "But fair warning—it might be stronger this time since we both know what to expect."

Aurora hesitated, then slowly placed her hand in mine.