"That''s it, then."


    "It''s okay. This will pass."


    Everything in front of him blurred; the screen shimmered with tears. Eugene blinked, dazed, and was just about to leave the alley when he stopped abruptly, eyes wide in disbelief. Out in the flow of tourists, a tall man stood on the sidewalk, his features indistinct, but he seemed to be watching Eugene.


    A chill shot up his spine. Every nerve fired, his mind went nk. Eugene stared at the man, afraid to even blink, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t make out his face.


    He wiped at his eyes, desperate for rity, but when he looked again, the man


    was gone.


    Goosebumps prickled along his arms.


    Impossible.


    It couldn''t be. That man-he was supposed to be... There was no way. No way it was him.


    But even as he told himself this, his body moved on its own. His feet were already pounding after the vanished figure, his phone slipping from his hand without him noticing, terror propelling him forward.


    The phone hit the concrete, screen shattering in the empty alley.


    The photo inside fractured with it.


    Elsewhere, Felicity was in the middle of a heated debate with Conrad about whether she could have ice cream. Distracted, the helium balloon she''d been clutching slipped from her fingers and floated upward. She immediately scrambled after it.


    "My bear gave me that balloon!"


    But the balloon soared higher and higher, drifting farther away no matter how hard she chased. Felicity stood frozen, watching it vanish into the sky. Out of nowhere, a wave of sadness crashed over her—the bright high of the day plummeting in an instant. Tears spilled down her cheeks, startling both M and Conrad who trailed close behind.


    "Felicity, hey, please don''t cry! I''ll get you that ice cream-however much you want, okay?" Conrad hurried off to the nearest shop.


    M wrapped Felicity in her arms, trying to soothe her.


    When M gently asked why she was crying, Felicity just shook her head, unable to exin the sudden gloom. She could only guess that losing something had made her upset... but M had expected this. The doctor had warned them.


    At this stage, patients could swing from euphoria to despair in a heartbeat. There was almost never any middle ground.


    All M could do was stay by her side.


    Ride out the storm with her, however long itsted.


    *


    With Felicity''s mood suddenly crashing, their day at the amusement park ended early. M soothed her to sleep, then checked in with Conrad, politely declined Leonard''s offer to drive her home, and set off herself through the deepening night. She called Eugene over and over as she drove, but he never picked up.


    Worry gnawed at her. After everything Eugene had done today, she feared he''d spiral-maybe end up drinking or getting into a fight, something reckless. Not ready to go home, M changed direction, steering toward Northpoint University.


    She wouldn''t rx until she saw him.


    She''d been to the campus before. It was nearly nine by the time she arrived, but she called Eugene''s advisor, who was still awake. After M exined, the advisor called ahead to the security desk and she was waved in.


    The advisor also checked with the student group chat, confirming that someone had seen Eugene return to the dorms. M thanked her and hurried across campus.


    She handed the fruits and snacks she''d picked up to the dorm supervisor asking for help calling Eugene down. It wasn''t much


    trouble and the supervisor


    by M''s friendly face-agreed with a smile.


    Soon the supervisor returned, but Eugene didn''te down. He finally answered M''s call, though, his voice hoarse, like he''d been crying.


    "Hey, sis."


    M paused, then asked inly, "Were you crying?"


    "...No."


    ??


    She didn''t press him. Instead, she kept her tone light. "Want to gette-night snack? I know a great ce for barbecue. Come on don''t stay in the dorm tonight."


    After a long silence, Eugene''s answer was uncharacteristically firm. "No, sis. I just


    want to be alone for a while."


    "Really? Are you sure?" M pressed.


    "Yeah. I''m okay."


    He refused toe down, but at least he''d gone back to his dorm. His voice sounded rough, but that wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. Better to cry than to keep it bottled up, and he still sounded more or less


    Kon


    himself.


    Probably nothing serious.


    if you need anything. If you''re


    M decided not to force him. "Alright. Call me feeling down, take a day off-let''s get out of town and clear your head." "Okay."


    His tone softened a little.


    But just as she was about to hang up, Eugene spoke again, hesitating.


    "Sis, there''s something I..."


    "What is it?" she asked, patient.


    "It''s nothing," he muttered. But after a long pause, he couldn''t help blurting out, "Sis, about my brother..."


    M frowned.


    Why bring up Lysander now? Still, she stayed quiet, waiting for him to finish. Eugene stammered, struggling to get the words out. "Sis, what do you... what do you think about my brother now?"


    M was caught off guard.


    What was there to think? He was gone... But since Eugene seemed to need to talk, she answered honestly, "Not much. He''s passed away."


    -What else is there to say?


    There was a stretch of silence. M thought that was the end of it, but then Eugene''s voice suddenly rose-raw and rasping.


    "But... what if he''s not?"