# Chapter: Undercurrents
## Liam's Apartment - Late Evening
The apartment felt different tonight, though Liam couldn't quite put his finger on why. Maybe it was the way the shadows seemed to linger longer in the corners, or how the usual city sounds from outside felt muted and distant. He sat on his couch, staring at the unopened invitation box that he'd materialized from his inventory for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
The encounter with Ayan had been weighing on his mind more than he cared to admit. Her words about never being rejected before had struck something deep, not because of any romantic implications, but because they reminded him of how disconnected he felt from normal human interactions. Everyone seemed to navigate social situations with an ease that completely eluded him, as if they possessed some manual he'd never received.
