I woke up at the sharp sound of my alarm, eyes snapping open. For a moment, I lay still, inhaling quietly, measuring my surroundings.
Relief came quickly. Nothing had changed. Nothing had moved.
I stretched my stiff body and reached for my phone. The diary on my chest slipped to the floor. I paused, bent down, and hugged it to my chest.
A single tear rolled down my cheek.
The phone rang again. I hesitated, then picked it up.
"Hmm?" I said cautiously, pretending calm, though my heart was still racing.
The last few days had been a whirlwind of activity.
The alley, the people I had dropped dead without warning, without telling my seniors or even my apprentice, for cleaning. The drama I had caused would have had everyone ready to strangle me.
"Yo, Ace. Still alive, or do I need to send a search party to your blanket fort?"
I blinked. Echo. My senior, the one who could tease me endlessly yet somehow keep the edge of control balanced, had a grin I could almost hear through the phone.
"I'm alive. Barely. You enjoy disturbing my peace, don't you, Echo?" I muttered, letting irritation seep into my voice.
"Maybe a little," he replied, his tone playful.
"But come on, Ace. Someone has to make sure the alley's mess doesn't eat the place alive."
"Fuck…" I groaned, dragging a hand down my face.
"Relax, I got it," Echo said, chuckling.
"Your apprentice is on standby. I'll make sure nothing explodes while you recharge."
I clenched my jaw. Of course, he sounded reassuring. Of course, he was right.
Despite my irritation, a small part of me felt grateful.
He always had a way of making sure I didn't completely fall apart.
"You're lucky you sound reassuring and not… one of those annoying seniors who lecture," I muttered.
"Lucky me, huh?" he said, voice dripping with amusement.
"Now, there's a parcel waiting near your café. Thought you'd like to know before it turns into a scavenger hunt."
I frowned. A parcel? Only a few days after a case, and now again? Was rest a forbidden luxury?
"You're unbelievable. I told you… I need a break! Two weeks, remember? I'm not cleaning, not investigating, not even thinking about the mess." My voice barely carried, but the frustration was sharp enough.
"I'll pass," I said quickly, tightening my grip on the phone.
"I need some downtime. Injuries, exhaustion, all that."
A pause. Then his teasing voice: "Come on, Ace. You can handle this much pressure, right?"
I gritted my teeth. "I can. But I'm taking the full two weeks off, so leave me alone."
"Fine, fine," Echo said, laughter in his words. "Just… remember, the chase is paperwork only. No heroics."
"Motherfucker." I cut the call, chest tight, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Echo always knew how to push but not break my limits.
I took a quick wash-up, replacing the bandages Kevin had done, my mind still replaying the alley.
The diary lay open beside me. I hugged it close. For a brief moment, the past, the chaos, and the present all blurred into a single tether to reality.
Even as I cursed Echo for disturbing my peace, I knew deep down I could rely on him. That trust, small and stubborn, made the weight of everything just a little lighter.
I settled into the corner booth, the cup of coffee warming my hands.
The notebook, my parcel, rested beside the plate Echo had brought me. Its smooth cover felt almost alive under my fingers, as if it held whispers of the past I wasn't ready to hear.
For a moment, I let myself just breathe.
The world outside hummed quietly, distant car engines, soft chatter from a few early risers, the smell of baked bread curling through the café. But even in this calm, the edges of memory pressed against me.
The alley, the chaos I had left behind. The people, the drama, the silent consequences of my actions.
I had buried it all under layers of focus, discipline, and survival, but it lingered, a shadow in the back of my mind.
Echo's voice pulled me back. "Ace… you, okay?"
I blinked, realizing I had been lost in thought.
I blinked at him, noticing the white clothes that looked too crisp to be casual, and the bear mask covering half his face.
Only Echo would think this was normal.
He zipped the mask open slightly to take a sip of his coffee, and I had to suppress a laugh.
Weird taste, as always. But… somehow, it suited him.
"Yeah… just thinking," I said, my voice now filled with amusement.
He nodded, his eyes steady, reassuring.
"Don't worry about the mess you left. Cleaning up is part of the plan, Ace. You focus on surviving, not on guilt."
I let a faint smile cross my lips, sipping the coffee. It was bitter, grounding, reminding me I was alive. Alive, and still here.
The parcel sat between us, unassuming. Too unassuming. Its weight pressed against the table as if it carried more than paper, like it knew me before I even opened it.
The notebook tempted me, beckoning me to open it, to see what secrets it held. I resisted for now, setting it beside my plate.
Not yet.
First, I needed this moment.
Small, ordinary, and yet strangely precious.
Because I knew the past would not stay buried forever. And when it came back, even through dreams, nightmares, or the cold light of reality,
I needed to be ready.
I met Echo's gaze again.
"Thanks," I whispered, not just for the breakfast or the parcel, but for the tether to the present, the reminder that even amidst shadows, someone cared.
"Don't thank me," he said softly, smirking.
"Just survive, Ace. And maybe today, keep the alley ghosts where they belong."
I nodded, feeling the subtle fire of resolve spark within me.
Today, the past could wait. Soon… it would not.