Amy had fallen asleep in her grandmother's bed.
She hadn't meant to. One moment she was cross-referencing scavenging zones with available modifications, surrounded by files and blueprints on her laptop. The next, she was wrapped in the lavender scent of Nyxara's old quilt, swallowed by the hush of the room.
The bedroom felt sacred—elegant, tech-blended, timeless. The walls whispered stories, and the digital display of stars overhead had long dimmed to a soft, pulsing aurora.
Sunlight warmed her cheeks now.
She sat up slowly, hair a mess, blanket tangled around one leg.
Then it hit her.
The date.
She stared wide-eyed at her phone on the nightstand. She hadn't agreed on a time. And it was already morning.
Heart thudding, she unlocked her phone and typed.
[Amy [7:42 AM]:
Hey… uh, Sara.
Sorry if I'm texting early. I just realized I don't know what time we're meeting today?
It's Amy, by the way 😅]
She pressed send and barely had time to breathe before her phone buzzed.
[Sara [7:44 AM]:
Hey, good morning, Amy 🌸
Not too early at all!
I've got stuff going on until lunch, but I'm free after that.
How about 2 PM? Crescent Café?]
Amy's heart stuttered.
[Amy [7:45 AM]:
Crescent Café at 2 sounds perfect 🌙
I'll be there early, probably 😅]
She let the phone drop softly onto the blanket, then pulled in a deep breath and fell backward into the pillows with a muffled scream of excitement.
"…Okay," she exhaled, smiling at the ceiling. "Okay. It's really happening."
She was still in Nyxara's bedroom. Her laptop sat on the blanket beside her, where she'd been sorting files and notes until she passed out last night. She'd woken up thinking about the day ahead — the day — and realized she was completely, utterly unprepared.
Her entire wardrobe was back at her apartment. Not a brush, not even a backup hoodie.
She scrambled for her phone again.
Amy stared at her phone like it had personally betrayed her.
2 PM.
A date.
A real date.
With Sara.
In less than seven hours.
She looked down at her current situation: baggy shorts, oversized sweater, pillow crease on her cheek. Her heart dropped.
"...I don't have anything here," she muttered. "Oh no. No, no, no—!"
She bolted upright and stared around the room like maybe, just maybe, some miraculous wardrobe would reveal itself. Nyxara's elegant robes and cyber-silk ensembles hung untouched behind lacquered panels, regal and utterly not her. The closet whispered power—not date-night charm.
Amy ran both hands through her hair. "Okay, okay—think. Think."
Her apartment.
All her stuff was at the apartment.
She'd have to go back.
But even if she got there, she had no idea what to wear. She'd been wearing scavenger gear or hoodies and combat boots for most of her adult life. And while her current closet technically had options… she didn't know how to date. She hadn't dated. Not once. Not in either timeline.
Her hand shot out, grabbing her phone.
[Amy [7:52 AM]
Lumi. Help. Emergency. I have a date in six hours and zero idea what to wear.]
She hit send. Then added:
[Amy [7:52 AM]
Also hi. Please wake up. I'm begging you.
Risa too. I need backup.]
A second later, she was sliding into her sneakers, throwing her bag over her shoulder, and bolting downstairs.
The front door of Nyxara's house whispered open as she sprinted past the threshold, the cool morning air greeting her like a slap of reality. Her ride—sleek, silent, and matte in pastel graphite—waited at the curb like a loyal shadow.
The Lilac Ghost shimmered faintly under the sun as she unlocked it and slid inside.
"I'm not panicking," she muttered. "I'm just… sprinting across the city for clothing and moral support because I have absolutely not been dreaming about this for years."
The engine purred to life as she pulled out of the drive.
Next stop: her apartment, then straight to Lumi and Risa's place.
They were going to fix this.
Or at least figure out how not to look like she was about to storm a bunker.
[Lumi [7:55 AM]
Oh my god.
Did you just say date??
WE'RE ON OUR WAY.]
[Lumi [7:55 AM]
Risa is already getting lip balm. You're doomed.
ETA 15 min. Be ready.]
Amy stared at the screen, then at her windshield. "I just left. They're going to beat me to my own apartment."
[Amy [7:59 AM]
Help.
I need an outfit. I have zero clothes at my grandma's house.
Lumi. Please.]
[Lumi [7:59 AM]
Wait.
Is this a date emergency???]
[Amy [7:59 AM]
Yes.
I'm seeing Sara at 2:00. I have 0% outfits and 100% anxiety.]
[Lumi [8:00 AM]
WE'RE ON OUR WAY
Risa's bringing emergency boots and my moral authority.]
[Lumi [8:00 AM]
DO 👏 NOT 👏 TOUCH 👏 YOUR 👏 CLOSET 👏]
Amy didn't even respond. She was already halfway out of her grandma's house.