After leaving Adler''s ce, Mirabe headed straight back to her apartmentplex. She''d spent the whole afternoon working on potion analysis, so her mood was anything but sunny, and she looked a bit worn out.


    As soon as she stepped through the door, Nick noticed her gloomy expression and couldn''t help but ask, "Hey, what''s up? You look down."


    Mirabe gave a little wave, slipped off her small bag, and put it on the cab. Then she flopped onto the couch like all her energy had been zapped, clutching a pillow to her chest.


    Nick poured her a warm cup of water and ced it on the coffee table before sitting down. "What happened?"


    Holding the pillow tighter, Mirabe rested her chinzily on it, turning her head to meet Nick''s gaze. Her eyes, usually bright and lively, were clouded with confusion. "Nick, what do you think is the point of us being here?"


    Nick was caught off guard, never expecting such a deep question from his sister. After a thoughtful pause, he shrugged and said, "Just to live, I reckon."


    Mirabe blinked, paused for a beat, then suddenly broke into a smile, the shadows lifting from her face.


    Yeah, living really is the whole point. If there are things and people you can''t dodge, why bother trying so hard to avoid them?


    Seeing her spirits lift, Nick didn''t pry any further. He just reached over, giving her head aforting pat. "Don''t think too much about it. I''m always here for you, and home will always be your safe ce."


    Mirabe let out a soft hum, then sat up straighter. "Nick, did you cook dinner? I''m starving."


    Nick smirked. "I ordered takeout; it should be here soon."


    Mirabe nodded and sank back into the couch, her eyes drifting to theptop on the coffee table. It was open to some programming software, the code only half done and a bit stuck with a few errors.


    Her fingers twitched, her perfectionist side itching to fix it.


    Just then, the doorbell rang.


    Nick, not catching Mirabe''s expression, stood up. "That must be the food."


    As Nick disappeared towards the door, Mirabe''s gaze followed him briefly before she looked back at theptop, unable to resist picking it up.


    When Nick returned with the food, Mirabe was still sprawled on the couch. He called her over to eat.


    After dinner, Mirabe headed upstairs.


    Nick tidied up and then poured himself a ss of water, heading to the living room. Picking up theptop from the coffee table, he opened it and was surprised by what he saw in the programming software.


    Thetter part of the code had been changed, not following his original n, but it was much clearer and more efficient.


    Nick paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Something clicked in his mind, and he nced up towards the second floor, a soft smile ying on his lips.


    The next morning, Mirabe was up early, pulling on her workout gear to head downstairs.


    Winter had just begun, and the morning air was chilly. As she stepped outside, the cold wind hit her face, making her already pale skin look even whiter. She rubbed her hands together, watching her breath puff out in the air.


    Winter in Riverdale was definitely colder than in Ashford.


    Mirabe clicked her tongue in annoyance as she walked to the front door, opened it, and stepped outside. But then, she spotted someone at the corner of the street and suddenly felt like her feet were glued to the ground.


    She wiped her face with her hand, realizing she''d been finding herself in awkward situations more and more oftentely. That definitely wasn''t a good sign.