"I just need... a moment," Evelyn whispered softly, gently closing the hotel balcony door behind her.

The Tokyo night greeted her with a cold that didn’t bite, but unsettled just enough. In the distance, the Tokyo Tower stood tall and radiant, as if watching over a world that never truly slept.

Evelyn wore a loose gray sweater, her hair tied up messily, and her eyes were tired—but not ready to close. The international art conference she had been attending for the past week had drained both her body and mind. But tonight, it wasn’t the schedule or public attention that kept her awake.

It was the voice she couldn’t hear—from...