Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTRP2272RY4TT3XA9KGGT3C

The distinctive green neon sign of The Raven's Nest glowed in the misty London night. Aurora Carter, her straight shoulder-length black hair plastered to her forehead from the rain, pushed open the heavy wooden door. The dimly lit interior enveloped her like a warm embrace. She slid onto a worn leather stool at the bar, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her bright blue eyes scanned the room, taking in the old maps and black-and-white photographs covering the exposed brick walls. The place hadn't changed a bit since her university days. "A whiskey, neat," she said to the bartender, a grey-streaked auburn-haired man with a neatly trimmed beard. He nodded, his hazel eyes crinkling at the corners as he poured her drink. She noticed the slight limp in his left leg as he moved - an old injury, if memory served. Aurora's attention was drawn to a figure hunched over the bar a few stools down. Something about the set of those shoulders... She squinted, trying to make out the man's features in the low light. Suddenly, the man turned, his eyes locking with hers. Aurora's breath caught in her throat. "Evan?" The man blinked, his rugged face splitting into a grin. "Rory? Bloody hell, is that you?" He slid off his stool, crossing the distance between them in a few long strides. Before she could react, he wrapped her in a tight embrace. Aurora stiffened, memories flooding back. The last time she'd seen Evan Jones, he'd been screaming obscenities at her as she walked out the door of their Cardiff flat, vowing never to return. That was three years ago. Evan pulled back, his hands resting on her shoulders. "Look at you! You haven't aged a day." His eyes roved over her face, a glint of something unreadable in their depths. "What are you doing here?" Aurora asked, hating the tremor in her voice. She cleared her throat. "I thought you were still in Cardiff." Evan shrugged, a wry smile twisting his lips. "I was. But you know me, always up for a change of scenery. I'm working on a big case here in London. High-profile client." "Still defending the indefensible, then," Aurora said dryly, sipping her whiskey. The burn of the liquor steadied her. Evan's smile faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. "Someone has to keep the cogs of justice turning." He signaled the bartender for another round. "You always were too idealistic for your own good, Rory." "And you always were an unprincipled bastard," she shot back, her cool mask slipping. Silas raised an eyebrow as he refilled their glasses but said nothing. Evan threw back his head and laughed, the sound harsh and grating in the quiet bar. "Oh, I've missed you, darling," he said, wiping his eyes. "No one else ever had the guts to call me on my bullshit like you did." Aurora stared at him, the ghost of their shared past hovering between them. "I didn't miss you," she said flatly. "Or your bullshit." Evan sobered, something like regret flickering across his face. "I know. And I don't blame you, not after...everything." He sighed, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "I was hoping I might run into you, actually. I wanted to apologize. For what it's worth, I regret how things ended with us." Aurora snorted. "You're about three years too late." She pushed away her half-finished drink, sliding off the stool. "Thanks for the drink, Si," she called to the bartender before turning back to Evan. "Goodbye, Evan. Don't bother looking me up again." She strode out of the bar without a backwards glance, the heavy door banging shut behind her. The last thing she saw was Evan's stricken face, his hand outstretched as if to stop her. But it was too late. Some bridges, once burnt, could never be rebuilt.