Yet here she is, watching Rafael assist the physician with a prideful smile, something he desperately wanted but never earned. During their actual classes, his hands trembled so badly that she recommended more training.
But if this isn’t a memory, what is it? And how does this display have access?
The holographic image blinks out. His fingers twitch.
Faint footsteps echo deeper inside, pulling his focus ahead. A tall silhouette stands before another broken screen, but the feed cuts to black before any details come into focus.
He hesitates until curiosity pulls him in. A few paces later, something glints in his periphery—glass arranged into a tree with a thick trunk and sprawling branches. As Rafael gets closer, the display hums on.
It’s Rafael again. But this time, Maria sits next to him on the beach.
They’re in swimsuits, watching the sun bleed into the ocean. His brow tightens. The only swimming they’d ever done was in the dingy pool behind their apartment—and even that was rare. There isn’t a real beach anywhere near Nova City.
The image warps, and suddenly he and Maria are in a crowd, surrounded by cheering fans as her favorite band plays on stage.
But how is this possible? They never went to a concert together, and Vex broke up centuries before Rafael and his sister were even born.
His breath catches, and it hits him.
These aren’t memories. They’re from V-link sessions. The beach trip Rafael created after finding his boyfriend with theneighbor across the hall. The concert simulation he bought for Maria’s last birthday, so she could finally see her dream band. And the session of him with his professor was something Rafael created as a private indulgence after graduating.
And somehow, they’re here, projected in an alley in the Outer Districts.
His stomach drops. How did someone access his V-link account? Rafael glances down at his wristlink. The man outside scanned the device before letting him in. Could that be the connection? Coda and others here have already shown what they’re capable of.
What about the other visitors? Are they all seeing this, too? Heat creeps up Rafael’s neck. The projections must stop once he leaves, right? He’s not sure, but slipping out seems like the safest option now.
He hurries down the lit path, passing more installations. None are worth stopping for. His breath quickens as he picks up the pace. One piece—glass shaped into a heart—crackles when he gets close. Rafael freezes.
A younger Kane stands in a memorial garden, armor too big on his frame, with fewer weapons on his back. Ivy crawls over brick walls behind him, and at the center, beneath a flowering tree, rest two stone heads. Holograms float above them of a bald man with an auburn beard and a fair-skinned woman with long hair. Kane kneels, setting a few flowers at their base. There’s no sound, but his lips move.
Rafael’s chest tightens. Whoever this couple is clearly mattered to Kane. Enough to hold a private ritual on V-link.
The display sputters to static, and only then does he notice a figure nearby. Rafael staggers back, heel catching on a crack. He throws out an arm for balance. A stronger one catches himfirst, closing around his waist. His neck cranes to look up.
Kane’s face fills his vision. Auburn hair frames a freckled jaw, catching the light from below, while gold flecks shimmer in his green eyes. Even now, Rafael can’t deny that Kane is handsome, but his heart stutters at the thought.
It’s just proximity, that’s all. They’ve never been this close before. And noticing someone’s looks doesn’t mean anything, the same way it doesn’t with that rude doctor on Lian’s floor.
Though when their eyes meet, something flashes across Kane’s expression. Too quick to name, but not fast enough to miss.
Voices behind them cut in. The arm holding Rafael upright steadies him then eases away.
“Hey!”
Kane aims a beam from his wristlink ahead. Three young boys freeze in place. Dressed in gear similar to Kane and his gang, they push an HOV bike through the dark space.
“Baron,” the pale boy speaks first. “I’m sorry to interrupt. We were just—”
The taller one clears his throat and steps in. “Sir, the HOV broke down nearby, and it was faster to bring it through the alley, so we thought—”
A chrome hand lifts. “Enough!” Kane growls before launching into a reprimand about their recklessness. Rafael tries to listen, but the words blur. His mind goes back to the heat of Kane’s hand at his waist, the shade of his eyes.
It was just adrenaline, proximity. Nothing more.
He forces his attention back on Kane, no longer shouting at the kids but frowning at him. Then Kane’s shoulders ease as his focus shifts back to the boys.
“Just turn the HOV around. Get it out of here. And don’tbreak anything. Then call Wren—have her team handle the pickup. Understand?” There’s steel in Kane’s command, softened with a hint of restraint.