Claire wiped the tables a little more aggressively than usual.
If it’s not the house... then what is it?
Could it be—the world itself?
“No. It’s probably me.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwo2GbABZVa
She muttered to herself and scrubbed harder.
But if it was just her, then why only her?80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JsK7YflO7
Was no one else noticing this?80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCApOP2SO4
Or were there others like her, who just... gave up looking?
“If there is someone like me, how would I even find them?”
She stood by the espresso machine, steaming milk, her brow furrowed.
Then suddenly—smack—she hit the counter.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVR0JNIZ4Ar
“Wait. Tonight’s the Easter Vigil.”
If anyone knew what to do about “a tomorrow that doesn’t exist,”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Eb3IGB0b4
it had to be that guy who came back to life after three days.
Jesus.
The Bible made Him sound like a full-blown sorcerer. Infinite power.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVf0EWisTnO
Maybe He could help.
“If I’m extra reverent tonight, maybe tomorrow’ll finally move on.”
Claire nodded to herself, decision made.
80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfjwmIV7Ti
That evening, she closed up early.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NMiXRHyhn
She pan-fried two slices of ham, stuffed them into warm bagels.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nDgXdRfqX
Brewed one cup of coffee, one of milk.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaNqISkY4J
Set them at the edge of her apartment’s balcony, just out of the wind.
The note was short:
For Nightwing and Robin.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzf5Mgs3lQE
Hot food. The milk’s hotter.
P.S. Nightwing—Robin’s looking for you on Queen Street tonight.
And with that, she headed out.
80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBBI86YGub
The vigil crowd was bigger than she expected.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiThoelAOd
Candles everywhere, flickering like they were breathing.
Claire sat among them, eyes closed, repeating quietly in her head:
“Please, Jesus. Help me figure out what’s wrong.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40pFwj2puy
“I don’t need much. Just let tomorrow… actually happen.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbr6hzjwckm
“Or at least… tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
Around her, people prayed, sang slow hymns.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXudZmXKMxS
The candlelight felt like a soft sedative.
But Claire’s mind stayed razor sharp.
She didn’t believe in God.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhdhcx4GYu
But tonight, she was willing to pretend—80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIoJfQMC4A
because facing an endless today alone was getting unbearable.
80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlx5LYhykdq
Midnight struck.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20Q8xRvWPn
The vigil ended.
Claire walked home feeling... untethered.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRwroHQHtv
Not sure if it was exhaustion or just that hollow, post-hope ache.
She climbed to the third floor, switched on the lights.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGuCej3cpt
Jacket off, not even halfway to the bedroom—80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuIE52HqPH
She looked up—
Two silhouettes on the balcony.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDkGv9Ae2S
One tall. One small.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBljEKrrlz
Both watching her.
Nightwing. Robin.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTSUfEEybo
Outlined by the indoor light,80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdQjDBJpdv
like guardian spirits who actually kept their appointments.
Claire froze.
"...Jesus," she muttered. "I asked for help, not a pickup."
80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHQDk8JHYc
Her brain stalled.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrenyCIx2e0
For a few seconds, everything just...buffered.
Then she snapped out of it, walked over, opened the window.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKJhRBgGZ9
Seriously, what else was she supposed to do?80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEfzIrlopl
Leave them standing there like weird bat-themed lawn ornaments?
The two shadows hopped in with practiced ease—80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUInEHMtHD
Same moves as last night. Copy-paste.
Nightwing opened his mouth, looked like he was struggling for an opener.
"Uh… um…"
Claire cut him off: “I’m Claire.”
He blinked, then offered a polite half-smile.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdnL30thAM
“Claire. Thanks for the food, by the way.”
Robin, meanwhile, had gone full wolf cub.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWNyLkHwu4
Eyes sharp, body tense, scanning her like she was a suspect.
“You’re the sorceress?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTBqspjRug
His voice was high-pitched, suspicious.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyTOcFs7TL
“The one who talks to spirits?”
Claire frowned. “What sorceress? What spirits?”
Robin stepped closer, voice tight:80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5W363zLkm
“Then how’d you know I was on Queen Street?”
Claire blinked. Then smiled—slow, smug, maybe just a little evil.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8YGyykupP
“I also knew you skipped dinner. Still hungry, right?”
Robin’s whole face crumpled, like a police dog catching a bad scent.
Nightwing quickly ruffled his hair, like calming a pet.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsIltjyi0t
“Sorry,” he said. “We really just came to say thank you.”
Claire nodded. Didn't say a word.
Nightwing started nudging Robin toward the window.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6sIxqS3PU
Robin protested: “Don’t push me! I’m serious—we need to know if she’s psychic!”
Claire paused.
Something mischievous slithered up from her boots to her spine.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVGp9o0Pt4
A familiar itch.
She called out, loud and clear:80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCOOSNRlWL
“Hey!”
Both turned.
Claire tilted her head, voice calm, cryptic.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwa2OwXyxr
“Batman’s looking for Robin. Somewhere in the city. Tonight.”
They froze.
Nightwing immediately touched his comms.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw1I94NWvb
Robin snapped his head sideways, like picking up a signal.
And then—
Their eyes widened. In unison.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKofRQisbul
They turned to her.
Claire grinned. That kind of grin.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8O2q3plSzI
The “gotcha” kind.
Then she stepped forward.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EzR8zk9A2
Clunk —window locked.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotg9RXqW5a
Shhk —curtains drawn.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObekhLwmMY
Clean. Final.
She stood there for a moment…80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZuLwOLrRz
And then started laughing.
80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewn2igQhXQ
Claire sat down and let out a long, tired breath.
She twirled her pen between her fingers, then started drafting.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg6zykZwMY
There was no guarantee she’d have time tomorrow morning—80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ncjQhsjCN
or that her freaky “remember last night after a reset” skill wouldn’t just crap out again.
Better to write now. While her head was still clear.
She needed to know.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcv4kh6Dg4p
Was there anyone else out there,80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡco9pwtckSI
living the same day, again and again?
At first, the letter got way too long—80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa51VokviOz
Like something you'd submit to a conspiracy blog with a flashing GIF header.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroJrKzsJDH
Halfway through, she couldn’t even read her own nonsense.
Nope. Start over.
It had to hit fast.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRhGPlAEbI
One glance, and the right person would know.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyPxrXBXRg
This wasn’t a prank.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMHMrehjyq
Wasn’t a dream.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTCOUJhh0G
This was real.
She cut ruthlessly.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEj7NMnH3H
Trimmed the fluff.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXR956la4o
Boiled it down to just the facts:80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡou5rajwCMt
Time’s stuck.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdthVA7iGf1
You always wake up at the same moment.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUjxcAtUG8
No one remembers yesterday.
Then, as a final touch, she added something that read like a coded whisper:
“Have you ever felt the sun today won’t reach tomorrow?”
Yeah. That felt right.
She read the note out loud. Again. And again.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOANrRsAaX
It wouldn’t survive the reset. But she still wanted to remember it.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKV52VuZLo
She wanted to remember that she’d tried.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgI6P1MDQDp
Even if no one else ever saw it—she wanted to know she hadn’t given up.
Then—
A knock on the window.
She flinched.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVX7d6ZOgxv
Like a nerve snapped.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz543vV6ySk
Froze in place.
...Again?80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyKgnb1hUT
What now?80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsxtw3eCbj
Was it Nightwing? The kid?
She didn’t go right away.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nfqy7tWRw
Her eyes flicked to the note.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVjT3HM9Sy
Then to the clock.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfcXlB3n2A
It was late. Way too late for casual drop-ins.
Slowly, carefully, she moved to the window.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kq5UgLKZ1
Lifted one corner of the curtain.
And saw—him.
Tall.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGwSuDB2WZ
Cloaked.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EgrGOcAD5
Cut from shadows.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89F1VWkVyW
Standing on her balcony like a statue carved from myth.
Batman.
Claire’s brain went silent.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmcsA9Ifx5
Two full seconds of white noise.
She couldn’t hear her own heartbeat.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLjtl4DSDl
Or maybe she could—so loud it drowned out everything else.
He was here.
Why?
She didn’t open the window. Not yet.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLQRB7zR6D
Just stared.
At the living legend.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbcEey5PYR
At the ghost of Gotham.
然後按「加至主畫面」