Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTRGQG706A0SJRS10PZNN42

The Raven's Nest hummed with the murmur of conversation and the clink of glasses. The dim light cast long shadows on the walls, where old maps and black-and-white photographs gave the bar a sense of history and depth. The air was thick with the scent of aged wood and a hint of smoke, despite the smoking ban. Aurora Carter, known to her friends as Rory, pushed open the door, the distinctive green neon sign above it flickering to life as she stepped inside. Her eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, and she scanned the room for familiar faces. The bar was bustling, as it always was, but there was one figure at the far end who caught her attention. It was Silas Blackwood, the owner of the bar, leaning against the counter, his hazel eyes surveying the room with a quiet authority. He nodded in her direction, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Rory made her way through the crowd, her black hair falling in straight, shoulder-length waves around her face, and took a seat next to him. "Evening, Rory," Silas said, his voice a mix of gravel and warmth. "The usual?" She nodded. "Thanks, Si." Silas poured her a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling in the glass as he set it down in front of her. She took a sip, letting the familiar burn slide down her throat. As she set the glass back down, her gaze landed on a figure sitting alone at a corner table. It was a woman with a shock of red hair, her eyes hidden behind dark glasses. Rory's heart skipped a beat. She had seen that hair before, years ago. "Eva," she whispered, almost to herself. Silas followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Seems like destiny's giving you a surprise tonight." Rory hesitated for a moment, then pushed herself off the stool and made her way across the room. The woman at the table looked up as she approached, and the dark glasses slipped off, revealing a pair of deep, green eyes. Eva's face was different—older, more pronounced lines around her mouth and eyes, but the same fiery spirit still lingered. "Rory," Eva said, her voice a mix of surprise and something else Rory couldn't quite place. "It's been a long time." Rory pulled up a chair and sat down, the weight of the years settling between them. "It has," she agreed. "How have you been?" Eva's lips curved into a small, wry smile. "I've been ... a lot. What about you? Losing yourself in the city, as usual?" Rory laughed, a short, sharp sound that felt almost foreign. "Something like that. Work, deliveries, the usual grind. What about you? Last I heard, you were off to Paris." "Ah, Paris," Eva said, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "It was a beautiful city. But it wasn't meant to be a permanent home. Life has a way of pulling you in different directions." Silas appeared at the table, a glass of red wine in his hand. He set it down in front of Eva and gave her a nod. "Good to see you, Eva. You're looking well." Eva smiled at him, a genuine, warm smile that lit up her face. "Thanks, Silas. You haven't changed a bit." Silas chuckled. "Neither have you, darling. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bar to run." He disappeared back into the crowd, leaving the two women alone again. Rory took a deep breath and looked at Eva, trying to find the words to bridge the gap of time and silence between them. "So, what brought you back to London?" Rory asked, her voice steady but tinged with curiosity. Eva swirled the wine in her glass, her expression thoughtful. "A job. A new start, I hope. I've been traveling a lot, but I needed to settle down. London felt like ... a good place to start over." Rory nodded, understanding the pull of the familiar. "I get that. This city has a way of drawing you back, no matter how far you go." They fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The bar was a place of refuge, a haven from the chaos of the outside world. Rory sipped her whiskey, the warmth spreading through her, and Eva sipped her wine, the gentle clink of the glass against the table the only sound between them. "Remember when we used to sneak into this place?" Eva said, breaking the silence. "Silas would always catch us, but he never kicked us out. He just shook his head and told us to behave." Rory laughed, the memory bringing a smile to her face. "Those were the days. We were so young and reckless." Eva nodded, a wistful smile playing at her lips. "We were. And now here we are, years later, sitting in the same bar, but so much has changed." Rory's smile faded, and she met Eva's gaze. "It has. People change, don't they?" Eva's green eyes searched Rory's face, and for a moment, the tension between them was almost palpable. "You've changed, Rory. You're ... different." Rory shifted in her seat, the weight of Eva's words settling on her shoulders. "I know. I had to. Things happened. People happened. I couldn't stay the same." Eva's expression softened. "I can't blame you for that. We all have our reasons. But I'm glad you're here. I've missed ... this." Rory felt a lump form in her throat, the unspoken words hanging between them. "I've missed you too, Eva. More than you know." They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their unspoken regrets and the years that had passed thick in the air. The bar around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them and the ghosts of their past. "I'm sorry, Rory," Eva said, her voice barely above a whisper. "For everything. For being gone when you needed me. For all the things I didn't say." Rory's breath caught in her throat, and she reached out, her hand finding Eva's. "I know. And I'm sorry too. For pushing you away. For not reaching out. We were kids, Evans. We made mistakes." Eva's hand tightened around Rory's, and for a moment, the world around them ceased to exist. The past and the present blurred together, and they were just two old friends, finding their way back to each other. "It's not too late, you know," Eva said, her voice filled with a newfound determination. "To make things right. To start over." Rory felt a wave of hope wash over her, and she smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile. "No, it's not. Let's do it, Evans. Let's start over." Eva's eyes sparkled, and she raised her glass in a toast. "To new beginnings." Rory clinked her glass against Eva's, and they both took a sip, the warmth of the alcohol and the warmth of their reunited friendship spreading through them. The bar continued to hum around them, but for Rory and Eva, the world had narrowed down to this moment, this table, and the promise of a new beginning.