After a few hours in the pub, Riley and his friend finally parted ways, tipsy but still clear-headed enough to navigate home. The city streets were quiet now, only the dim streetlights and the occasional hum of a distant vehicle breaking the silence. Riley made his way back to his apartment complex, humming a tune from the bar under his breath.

When he entered the lobby, however, he was met with an unexpected sight: a squad of DRRC agents, heavily armed with AR-15s, stood blocking the stairwell. They were in the middle of raiding a neighbor’s apartment.

Riley paused, blinking away the last effects of the alcohol. “What’s going on here?” he asked one of the soldiers.

The leader of the squad turned to face him, a grizzled canis with a nasty scar slicing across his neck. His floppy dog ears twitched, and his kinked tail was still. “Your neighbor’s been caught hoarding food,” the soldier said, voice gravelly and laced with annoyance.

Riley raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I see. I’ll head inside then.”

“Do that,” the canis muttered. “Curfew’s about to start.”

Riley nodded, feeling a shiver run down his spine. He quickly entered his apartment, locking the door behind him. He tossed his coat aside and slumped onto the couch, trying to shake off the strange encounter. But it wasn’t the sight of the raid that haunted him—it was the memories that began to resurface, memories he had desperately tried to bury.

Jessica.

Her face flashed before his eyes, radiant and beautiful, with a button nose that crinkled when she smiled. He could almost feel her comforting presence beside him. He fumbled for the locket around his neck, the one he hadn’t taken off since her death. His fingers trembled as he opened it, revealing the small, faded photograph inside.

The picture was of him and Jessica in Paris, four years ago. They were kissing under the Eiffel Tower, her arms wrapped around his neck, both of them laughing like they had all the time in the world. That was before everything changed. Before the Bio Diffusion.

Riley’s breath hitched, and he felt tears welling up. He clenched the locket, pressing it to his forehead as he started to sob quietly. The tears streamed down his cheeks, falling onto the fabric of the couch and leaving dark, wet stains. He pulled a blanket over his head, trying to muffle the sounds of his grief. He cried until his throat was sore, until exhaustion overtook him and he could do nothing but lie there, clutching the locket like it was his last tether to the world.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Eventually, he drifted into a fitful sleep, the taste of salt still on his lips.

For the first time in months, Riley dreamed.

He found himself standing in a vast garden, surrounded by roses in full bloom. The petals were a deep, rich crimson, but as he reached out to touch them, he felt the sharp sting of thorns pricking his skin. He yelped and pulled back, staring at the small droplets of blood beading on his fingertips. He pushed forward, weaving through the bushes, narrowly avoiding the thorns that seemed to close in around him.

Then, he heard it—a voice, soft and achingly familiar.

“Hello, dear.”

Riley’s breath caught in his throat. He knew that voice. It was Jessica’s. He spun around, searching for her, but there was no one there.

“Can’t see me, sweetie,” she teased, her tone light and mischievous, just as he remembered. “I’m everywhere.”

“J-Jess?” Riley whispered, his voice breaking. He felt tears welling up again, and he choked back a sob. He missed her so much—her laughter, her warmth, the way she used to tease him. He knew he had Autumn now, but Jessica had been his first love, the one who had pulled him out of the darkest depths when he’d been drowning in despair.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle squeeze around his chest and arms, as though invisible arms were wrapping around him in a comforting embrace. It felt so real, like Jessica was there, holding him. He clutched at the air, trying to return the hug, burying his face into the emptiness as if he could cry onto her shoulder one last time.

But the world around him began to fade, swirling into a spiral of color and light, and he felt himself being pulled away.

Riley jerked awake, gasping for breath. He lay there for a moment, disoriented, staring at the ceiling as he tried to process what had happened. He could still feel the ghost of her touch lingering on his skin, a phantom warmth that made his heart ache.

With a heavy sigh, he sat up and reached for his phone on the coffee table. The screen lit up, displaying the time—Saturday morning, 8:00 AM. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream. It had left him feeling raw, exposed, but strangely… at peace.

Maybe he needed a break. Maybe it was time to get away for a while, to stop living in the past.

He typed out a quick message to Autumn: What do you think about going to Rome for vacation?

The reply came almost instantly: Sure, I guess, followed by a heart emoji.

Riley couldn’t help but smile. It was set then. Today, they would start preparing for a trip to Rome, a chance to escape, if only for a little while. He knew the Nexus Powers’ growing hostilities with Americans might pose a risk, but he didn’t care. His voice had always been soft-spoken, his accent barely noticeable. He could blend in, become a different person, even if just for a few days.

And maybe, in Rome, he could finally start to heal.