Kara and Grant pulled the squad car into the station parking lot and climbed out. Kara stretched her back while Grant rubbed his forehead in exhaustion. They marched towards the building, their shoes clomping against the concrete steps they had walked so many times before. The double doors creaked open as they entered, and voices from all directions filled the room. As they were noticed, the room erupted in thunderous applause. Officers embraced and patted them on the back as they passed through. Christopher Mancini had been one of the department’s most notorious criminals, and they had dedicated countless hours of hard work toward apprehending him. Even the captain was smiling wider than usual as he congratulated everyone involved.

Kara stood in the center of the room, surrounded by her cheering comrades. The bright lights of their applause illuminated her reddened face. However, no amount of adoration could lift the fog of fatigue that had settled into her bones. Nothing seemed real at that moment, like she was above it all, looking down from an out-of-body experience. She knew it was due to the weeks of sleepless nights, endless cups of coffee, and late-night stakeouts.

Grant’s face contorted in confusion as he questioned, “I thought you would be a little more excited about finally closing this case?” His eyebrows curved into two dark lines that ran parallel to each other on his forehead.

“I am excited. Just a bit exhausted.” Kara forced a smile, trying to mask her feelings. She appreciated his concern but kept her response tight-lipped. The nightmare lurking in her subconscious that had haunted her for years stirred up a fresh wave of terror within her. No matter how much safety and love Grant offered, Kara couldn’t bring herself to tell him about the darkness consuming her. Furthermore, he didn’t deserve to take on this burden as well.

After signing a mountain of paperwork and toasting with cans of beer from the nearby gas station, she hugged Grant goodbye and climbed into her car. As she turned onto the highway, a familiar ringtone shattered the dead silence. Her heart raced as she recognized the tone, and she answered while keeping her eyes on the road. “Alyssa, thank God.” Her voice was tense and breathless. “Alyssa, you had me worried sick. Why haven’t you called me?”

“Sorry, I’ve just been so busy with school and made some new friends. I think you would like them. So, what’s up?” she asked. Kara’s jaw tightened as Alyssa breezed through her two-week-long absence like it was nothing. Her voice was chill, and her words were easy, giving the appearance that complete radio silence between them was something that happened frequently. Kara felt a wave of anger rising in her chest, accompanied by an urge to start shouting, but she bit her tongue. She had finally heard from her sister and she didn’t want to ruin it with a fight.

The corners of Kara’s mouth curled into a satisfied smirk as she spoke. “Well, Ayers is short one more dangerous criminal. Why don’t you come over tonight to celebrate? I’ll cook dinner, and we can toast with that bottle of wine in the cabinet that’s been collecting dust for three years.” Kara forced out a nervous laugh, her knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel in desperation.

Alyssa hesitated, her voice sounding unconvincing as she spoke. “Oh, well, I did have plans to go out with my friends tonight,” Alyssa said slowly. She paused, hoping her sister would rescind the invitation, but Kara didn’t take the bait. “I guess I can stop by for a minute, though,” Alyssa said halfheartedly, but it was obvious from the tone of her voice that she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Kara paused, debating whether to call the whole thing off. Yet, the oppressive silence of her empty apartment convinced her otherwise. Kara missed her sister. She cherished like a precious gem whatever time she could spend with her. Kara’s lips curved into a thin smile, and she nodded, “Sounds good. See you around six, then?”

“Six it is,” Alyssa responded.

* * *

The sun was setting on the horizon as a firm knock rattled the front door just as Kara pulled the aromatic roast chicken out of the oven. Excitement spread across her lips as she imagined seeing her baby sister standing in the doorway with a welcoming embrace. But when she yanked open the door, Kara was met with a stranger instead.

Alyssa was quite like Kara when it came to her looks—she usually let her natural beauty shine through. Now, though, her hair was in a short bob with bangs, and she had complemented it with a face full of makeup. Her eyes were smoky and mysterious; her cheeks glowed like a cherry blossom tree in spring. Her designer dress clung to her slim figure like a second skin, and her ankles wobbled on the spiky stilettos as if she were walking on pins and needles.

Most people probably thought Alyssa looked gorgeous, with her perfectly styled hair and impeccably applied makeup. But the look disturbed Kara; she straightened her back and chose her words carefully. “Wow. You look...different.”

“Yeah, I cut my hair,” Alyssa embraced Kara, and when they stepped apart, she ran her fingers through her new hairstyle. “What do you think?” she asked as she walked over to the dining table, the now shoulder-length strands bouncing with each step.

Kara’s lips were pursed tight as she shut the door, and her voice was a low murmur. “The haircut was the last of what I was talking about,” she said before quickly pivoting to a more pleasant topic. “I hope you’re hungry.” Her eyes searched her face for any hints of annoyance, and she held her breath until she responded.

“Not really,” but when Alyssa looked at dinner, her mouth started to water as she looked at the elaborate spread on the table. It was complete with succulent meat, colorful roasted vegetables, and other side dishes. Despite her reservations, she couldn’t resist the smells and sat at the table. “But it smells so good. I guess a few bites couldn’t hurt. You really shouldn’t have gone through all this trouble just for me.”

Kara slid onto the plush cushion of her seat at the dinner table, eyes locked onto Alyssa’s as she chuckled. “It’s no trouble,” she said. “I figured you were getting tired of eating instant noodles every night.” They both laughed, and Kara relaxed in Alyssa’s presence, letting go of the stress that her job as a detective brought into her life. Rejuvenated and energized, she relished in the company of her sister, cherishing the moment. For when she returned home from work each day, it was the promise of nights like this in which she found solace.

When Alyssa said, ‘a few bites,’ she meant a few. She only had three mouthfuls of her meal, and before she could take a fourth, a muffled trill emanated from the depths of her purse. She pulled out her phone and read the text message, then grabbed her bag and stood up to leave.

“You’re leaving already?” Kara tried to sound casual, but the tightness in her throat made it difficult to hide her disappointment. “It’s only been about ten minutes. I thought we were going to open that bottle of merlot.” Kara tried not to sound like a stereotypical overbearing sister but failed. She mentally chastised herself for the tone that crept into her voice. It sounded too much like their mother’s.

Alyssa shuffled her feet, avoiding eye contact with her sister. “I’m so sorry, sis. My friends are already downstairs waiting for me,” she said with an expression of guilt etched on her face, “Can we do it tomorrow night?” her voice cracked as she edged towards the door.

Kara took a deep breath and tried to appear aloof to her sister as she said, “Sure, go have fun.” But behind the robotic smile was sadness roiling in her gut at the thought of Alyssa leaving. Kara couldn’t help worrying. Regardless, she quickly ushered her down the hallway and gave her one last embrace before reluctantly watching the elevator doors close with a thump. Her eyes followed it until the shaft’s light disappeared from view, and Kara convinced herself that if Alyssa were truly meant to come back, she would tomorrow evening.

* * *

The following day, Kara opened the precinct’s door and stepped inside, only to be nearly bowled over by Grant as he careened around the corner at full speed. His face was flushed, and his eyes were bright. “Everitt! Finally! C’mon, you have to see this,” he said, leading her over to his desk, where he had a laptop playing security footage. “There was a call last night about a huge disturbance down at Immortal.”

Immortal loomed like a gloomy monolith in the middle of downtown. It was notoriously difficult to get into, with bouncers enforcing a strict door policy that only allowed entry to those who had been invited by patrons already inside. People said only the most outrageous party goers made it in—from celebrities seeking somewhere to let their hair down to strange night crawlers seeking mischief and mayhem. Grim reports of fights and heated disagreements echoed nightly from the club’s closed doors.

A dismissive smirk crossed her face as she remarked, “That shady nightclub? There’s always some sort of commotion down there. So what?” she shrugged indifferently.

He swiveled around to face her, his eyebrows raised. “You’ll never guess who was there,” he said.