The streets of Chicago pulsed with life, but Kayra hardly noticed the thrumming energy around her. Dressed in a flowing golden saree, her heels clicked softly against the pavement of the Riverwalk. The warm breeze danced along her skin, lifting the edges of her pallu as her husband, Maes, draped his jacket over her shoulders. His gesture was comforting, grounding, yet her heart beat erratically, stirred by an undercurrent she couldn’t name.
She looked up at him, his warm, kind eyes gazing back with unwavering devotion. “What are you thinking?” he asked, his voice steady and reassuring.
“Just… how far we’ve come,” she replied, smiling faintly. It was true. Maes had been her anchor, her safe harbor. He was her now, her always. And yet…
Her thoughts scattered as they reached the bridge overlooking the shimmering water. For a moment, time seemed to still. A man stood at the edge of the walkway, his silhouette sharp against the backdrop of the city lights. Her breath caught, her hand instinctively clutching Maes’s arm.
“Noir,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
The man turned at the sound of his name, his dark eyes locking onto hers. The air between them crackled, as if the universe itself held its breath. Kayra felt her knees weaken, her past rushing to the forefront of her mind. His gaze was the same—piercing, magnetic, and devastatingly familiar.
“Kayra,” he murmured, his voice barely audible over the distant hum of the city, yet it echoed through her entire being.
Maes glanced between them, his brow furrowing. “You know him?”
Kayra hesitated, but Noir stepped forward, extending a hand to Maes with an ease that belied the tension crackling around them. “Noir,” he said smoothly. “An old friend.”
Friend. The word lingered in the air like smoke, taunting her. Noir’s hand was firm as Maes shook it, and Kayra’s heart ached at the sight of them together—a man who held her present and a man who had once held her soul.
“We should go,” Kayra said quickly, pulling Maes’s arm. She couldn’t endure this. Not here. Not now.
But Maes was nothing if not gracious. “Nonsense. Join us for a drink, Noir.”
Kayra froze, her mind racing. Noir’s lips curved into a faint smile as he nodded. “It would be my pleasure.”
The bar was intimate, dimly lit with flickering candles casting shadows on the walls. Kayra sat stiffly, her fingers wrapped around her glass of wine as Maes and Noir exchanged pleasantries. She barely heard the conversation, too aware of Noir’s presence, the way his eyes lingered on her, burning through the space between them.
“Chicago suits you,” Noir said suddenly, his voice low, directed at her.
Her throat tightened. “Does it?” she replied, her voice barely steady.
Maes glanced at her, then at Noir, sensing the tension but unable to decipher it. “So, how do you two know each other?”
Kayra opened her mouth, but Noir spoke first. “We met years ago. A chance encounter.” His gaze held hers, unflinching. “One I’ve never forgotten.”
Her chest constricted, her breath shallow. The wine in her glass rippled as her hand trembled. “We should leave. It’s late.”
Maes frowned, concerned, but Noir stood, his movements smooth and deliberate. “I should be going anyway,” he said, his tone calm but his eyes telling another story entirely.
Maes extended a hand once more. “It was good to meet you, Noir.”
Noir shook it, his fingers brushing hers as he reached for his coat. The touch was brief, but it sent a shiver down her spine. As he walked away, he turned back once, his gaze lingering on her. It was a look that spoke volumes—of unfinished stories, of love unspoken yet deeply felt.
Kayra watched him go, her chest heavy with emotions she couldn’t name. She felt Maes’s hand on hers, grounding her, anchoring her. But her soul—it was still with Noir, somewhere in the space between what was and what could have been.
This was just the beginning. A collision of past and present. A spark reignited.
Would Kayra surrender to the safety of her now or risk everything for the fire of a love she thought she’d lost forever?
The answer lay in the pages ahead.
Kay’s Odyssey 
Leave a comment