Kai had said it was "on the way," that his mother's eatery was nearby. Yet somehow, she found herself being hauled across the main street, forced onto two different buses before they finally arrived.
Only then did Serein remember, Kai had once mentioned he lived on Taurus Street.
She had been tricked.
The diner was a modest little place, wedged between rows of old, run-down houses typical of a neighborhood on the fringes of a glittering city.
Although old, it looked tidy and well kept, as if freshly refurbished. Compared to its worn neighbors, it stood out with quiet pride.
Kai slid the glass door open with a clatter and called into the room with the exuberance of a child returning home.
"Mom, I'm home!"
Serein followed hesitantly, her gaze darting about the empty dining area. The overhead neon lights cast a pale glow on rows of tables and chairs, and from the kitchen there lingered a faint trace of warmth, as though the fire had only just been put out.
