Leonard scratched his head. "That doesn’t make any sense."

Could he be imagining things? The voices had sounded so clear. He could hear bursts of shouting and chatter drifting through the mist.

Although he couldn’t make out the actual words, the atmosphere felt unmistakably bustling and full of life.

"Maybe I was standing too close." He pointed toward the stone road. "Why don’t you try?"

Suzy considered the possibility.

"Alright. I’ll give it a shot."

She stepped back several paces and copied exactly what Leonard had done earlier.

Then she sprinted toward the stone-paved road. As expected, the invisible force appeared again. The resistance wrapped around her instantly.

A moment later, she found herself standing beside Leonard once more.

"Well?" Leonard asked immediately. "Did you hear anything?"

Suzy shook her head. "No."

Her brows knitted together. "Still nothing."

During that brief attempt, she hadn’t heard any of the sounds Leonard described.

Not a single voice.

The two stared at each other, confused.

Leonard finally suggested, "Should we bring Thomas over and let him try?"

At this point, he completely regarded Thomas as one of their own. Besides, Thomas already knew about Suzy’s space. It was only a matter of time before he entered it anyway.

Sooner or later made little difference.

Suzy bit her lip.

"That might actually work."

Her thoughts mirrored Leonard’s. Thomas was someone she trusted completely. She had no doubts about him. Allowing him into the space ahead of schedule wasn’t a problem.

"Uncle Leonard, wait here for a bit. I’ll go get Thomas."

"Go ahead. I’ll stay right here."

After settling the matter with Leonard, Suzy immediately left the space.

The world blurred. The next second, she was standing inside her bedroom again.

Without wasting time, she threw open the door and rushed into the living room.

The gaming console was still running. Thomas, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Thomas!" She called out loudly. "Thomas, are you here?"

She shouted several times but received no answer.

Apparently, she and Leonard had spent much longer inside the space than she realized.

Suzy searched the entire apartment.

Still no sign of him.

With temperatures outside plunging below freezing, there was no way Thomas had gone outdoors.

That left only one possibility... He had gone across the hall.

Suzy quickly changed into a pair of slippers and headed for the opposite apartment.

The moment she stepped into the corridor, icy air rushed toward her from every direction.

She shivered immediately. There was no heating in the stairwell. Compared to the warmth of the apartment, the hallway felt like a freezer.

Picking up her pace, she crossed the corridor and entered the access code.

The door clicked open.

Derek was sitting in the living room. The moment he heard movement at the entrance, he looked over.

When he realized it was Suzy, his eyes lit up instantly.

"Suzy!"

He sprang to his feet and hurried toward her. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her. Suzy returned the hug briefly before gently pulling away.

"Is Thomas here?"

The brightness in Derek’s expression immediately dimmed.

His shoulders slumped.

"Yeah." His voice dropped noticeably. "He came back a little while ago. He’s in his room."

Suzy slipped her hand from Derek’s grasp and headed directly down the hallway.

Derek watched her retreating figure. A trace of disappointment flickered through his amber eyes.

So she hadn’t come to see him after all...

Within moments, Suzy arrived outside Thomas’s room. She knocked on the door.

"Come in."

His cool, steady voice drifted from inside.

Suzy turned the handle and pushed the door open. The moment Thomas saw her, surprise flashed across his face.

"What are you doing here?"

Suzy raised an eyebrow. "Who were you expecting?"

For a split second, Thomas had assumed it was Derek. Fortunately, he kept that thought to himself.

Instead, he repeated his question. "What brings you here?"

"I need your help with something. Come with me."

Without waiting for a response, Suzy grabbed his hand and began pulling him toward the door.

Thomas followed without resistance.

As they walked, Suzy glanced at him. "Why did you come back all of a sudden?"

"I figured you and your uncle would be talking for a while," Thomas spoke calmly. "So I came back to put some things away."

Following his gaze, Suzy noticed the neatly folded stack of clothes on the bed.

Apparently, he had already begun preparing to move in.

"We’ll talk later. Let’s go first."

Suzy quickened her pace.

Her plan was simple. Bring Thomas back to her safe house. Then take him into the space.

Derek was still here, and she knew him well enough to predict exactly what would happen if she disappeared inside the room for too long.

He would absolutely come knocking. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Suzy pulled Thomas through the living room.

Derek was still standing there. His gaze shifted from the two of them emerging together to the hands they were holding. His lips pressed into a thin line.

He said nothing. He simply watched them.

Noticing his expression, Suzy offered an explanation.

"My uncle needs him for something."

At moments like this, Leonard’s name was incredibly useful.

Technically, she wasn’t even lying. From a certain perspective, it really was Leonard who needed Thomas.

"Got it." Derek forced a smile.

Suzy didn’t linger. She pulled Thomas out the door and left. The apartment door closed behind them.

Once they disappeared from sight, the smile vanished from Derek’s face.

He let out a slow breath.

A bitter ache spread through his chest like rising tidewater. Dragging his feet, he made his way to the couch and dropped onto it.

His shoulders slumped. The image of Suzy holding Thomas’s hand replayed endlessly in his mind.

The ease between them. The familiarity. The natural intimacy.

Derek could feel it. There was something connecting the two of them.

A secret, perhaps. Something that belonged only to them. Something he wasn’t part of. That secret felt like an invisible wall standing between him and Suzy.

The realization left a dull heaviness in his chest.

He hated it. The feeling of being excluded. The feeling of not knowing.

Most of all, he hated how powerless it made him feel.

While Derek sat alone wrestling with his thoughts, Suzy had already brought Thomas back to her apartment.

The moment they entered, she shut the door and locked it behind them in one smooth motion.

Thomas looked at her with confusion.

"What is so urgent?"

"I’m taking you somewhere." Suzy’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Just don’t be shocked."

Thomas frowned. "Somewhere? Where exactly?"

The instant the words left his mouth, the world around him shifted.

The scenery blurred.

Then everything changed.

A moment later, both of them stood inside the space.

They had appeared exactly where Suzy had left it earlier, right near the current boundary.

"This is my space."

Suzy spread her arms as she explained. Then she looked up at Thomas. The sight nearly made her laugh.

He had completely frozen. For the first time since she’d met him, she saw genuine shock on his face.

The usually composed and intimidating man looked utterly stunned.

His eyes swept across the endless grasslands, distant hills, sparkling streams, and flourishing orchards.

For several long seconds, he seemed incapable of processing what he was seeing.

"Wow."

A familiar voice suddenly interrupted.

"That expression is priceless." Leonard’s teasing laughter drifted over.

The sound snapped Thomas back to reality.

Though the shock still lingered in his eyes, some of his usual composure began returning.

Leonard walked over, clearly delighted.

"Are you completely stunned?"

He grinned.

"This is the first time I’ve ever seen you make that face."

Thomas fell silent. Then, almost instantly, his expression smoothed back into its usual calm indifference.

The transformation happened so quickly that Leonard couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

"What a shame." He clicked his tongue. "That look was much more entertaining."

Then he spread his arms dramatically.

"Anyway, welcome." A broad grin appeared on his face. "This is Suzy’s space."