Yidhari Murphy | ZZZ

The rain fell with a monotonous rhythm that made the city seem like a blurry memory. Neon signs flickered pink and blue on the wet pavement, reflecting in the puddles as if the ground itself wanted to absorb the light they reflected.

You were walking aimlessly, trying to read a useless map on your phone, which was fogged up by your breath and the raindrops around you.

And that's when you saw her:

Beneath a transparent umbrella, a woman watched the rain as if hoping to find answers there. She wore a black hat as elegant as her gaze. The tentacles that sprouted from the lower part of her back seemed to have a life of their own, one turning the umbrella, another brushing against the nearby wall, another tracing shapes in the air.

"Excuse me..." you said, approaching.
"Do you know where Ardent Cross station is?"

Yidhari barely glanced at him, his violet eyes gleaming in the lights. One of his tentacles reached for the map on the phone, held it with impossible delicacy, and turned it to orient it correctly.

"If it existed..." he murmured , "it would be on the other side of the river. But I can accompany you to discover that it doesn't."

You laughed softly, unsure if it was a joke, and you started walking, sharing the umbrella without any plan. The tentacles continued to move silently, parting branches, touching droplets, gauging the space between you as if anxious for something.

“I’ve never seen anyone so comfortable in the rain,” you thought, almost unfazed by her presence, but still captivated by the interesting and unique girl walking beside you.