The neon hum of Luna Terrace pulsed through the night like a heartbeat—steady, electric, alive. Nestled between the glass towers of New Elara City and the unruly wilds of the Mistwood Fringe, Luna Terrace was a pocket universe, a kaleidoscope of humanity and hope, radiating color against the sprawling monochrome skyline. Eira adjusted the strap of her worn leather satchel and settled onto the weathered bench outside the Starlight Ink Parlor—a tattoo studio famous for its glowing bioluminescent inks and cryptic artists who doubled as storytellers. Tonight’s chill didn’t bite as hard here; maybe it was the murmur of jazz leaking from the parlor or the soft light pooling around the antique lampposts. Eira’s fingers traced the edge of a folded postcard in her pocket. The script was hers, but the words were a question she wasn’t ready to ask. More than once she had rehearsed it aloud, but as the moment crept closer, her breath tangled in her throat. Across the alley, the hum shifted pitch—subtle, alluring. A figure emerged from the neon glow, illuminated in streaks of violet and silver. They moved with an effortless grace, a wide-brimmed hat tilted just so to mask a cascade of luminescent blue hair. “Late night at the Starlight again?” The voice was soft, tinged with both amusement and something tender. Eira’s heart clattered—a rhythm that matched the city’s neon pulse. “Aren’t you the mysterious artist who paints stories on skin?” she whispered, standing up. “I’m Eira.” The figure smiled, eyes glinting like stars caught in stormwater. “And I’m Ash. I guess…