The lingering scent of cheap perfume and stale regret clung to Jayden as he wrestled his car keys from the valet. The night, a blur of forced smiles and hollow encounters, had left him feeling colder than usual. He hated these nights, hated the empty ritual of them. Every forced touch, every vacant word, just solidified the chasm between him and a world that demanded he move on. His phone buzzed, a persistent, irritating tremor in his pocket. He knew it was Kate, probably calling to deliver another lecture he wasn't in the mood for. He just wanted to go home.

The elevator ride was a slow ascent into quiet desperation. He longed for the familiar comfort of his apartment, the silent judgment of Storm, and the ethereal, ever-present comfort of Alyanna. As the doors whispered open, Storm, his Doberman, bounded forward, a whirlwind of happy barks and wagging tail. “Did you take good care of mommy?” Jayden murmured, scratching behind Storm’s ears. Alyanna, a soft smile on her lips, materialized beside him, her presence a silent balm to his frayed nerves.

“How was your day?” she asked, her voice a gentle murmur only he could hear. He sighed, the weight of the evening settling on him. “Boring as fuck. I keep trying to break up with Stella, but she just…evades it. And then she cries to Mum, and now I’m roped into dinner tomorrow.” He ran a hand through his hair, the frustration a familiar ache.