Empire of Nothing

The smell of pancakes dragged Nova out of bed.

Not the fancy kind with imported blueberries or whatever the chef back at that house made. No. These were golden and slightly burnt, made by Kieran, who didn't know how to measure anything and thought chocolate chips should be used "aggressively."

Zane greeted her with a sleepy smile and a mug of hot cocoa. "Good morning, criminal."

Nova blinked. "Criminal?"

"You committed identity theft. My mom officially likes you more than me now."

She smirked. "That's a you problem."

Sasha appeared, wearing ripped jeans and sunglasses she definitely didn't need indoors. "Hurry up, Poké. We're going out."

Nova blinked. "Where?"

"Doesn't matter. You're kidnapped for the day. No sad thoughts, no thinking about mansion boys, and definitely no checking your phone."

"I wasn't—"

Kieran yanked it from her hand and tossed it onto the couch. "There. Solved."

They hit the city like a storm.

Thrift stores. Boba shops. Street music. Nova tried on the ugliest boots known to humankind just to make Sasha laugh. Zane bought matching bracelets from a stall, claiming it was a "symbol of surviving emotional trauma via noodles and sarcasm."

Nova didn't take hers off.

They ate greasy food on the hood of Sasha's car while watching the sun set over the city skyline.

Nova leaned back, smiling. For once, her shoulders weren't tense. Her walls weren't up. The sky didn't look so empty.

She forgot what that felt like.

Kieran handed her a slushie. "You're weird, but like… in a good way."

Sasha added, "You could stay. For real. We wouldn't mind."

Nova blinked. "Seriously?"

Zane looked over. "You already fit better than most people we've known for years."

The wind whipped her hair as she stared at the city below.For the first time, the idea of never going back didn't scare her.

It tempted her.

Back at the mansion, her room stayed untouched.

Her absence was no longer quiet.

It was felt.

Like the echo of a door that slammed shut and never opened again.

And they were finally starting to realize—

They didn't just lose a girl.

They might've lost their chance.