The days turned into weeks, and Lily and Finn found themselves spending more time together. They didn't rush. They didn't pretend. Their meetings were quiet, filled with small talks, shared silences, and the comfort of simply being near each other. Sometimes they sat in the park, watching children run after pigeons. Sometimes they walked by the river, listening to the water move. Other times they just sat on the rooftop, saying nothing at all, letting the night sky speak for them.
But the world around them was not peaceful. The Love Formula was showing its cracks. More and more people were waking up from its effects and realizing the feelings they thought were real had been built on chemicals. Some tried to stay together, but many broke apart. The streets became heavy with arguments, tears, and broken promises. The city that once felt alive with passion was now drowning in confusion.
Dr. Freya Alba stayed in her laboratory, recording everything. She read the reports of broken marriages, of lovers fighting in the street, of strangers who couldn't even look at each other after the formula wore off. And still, she thought of Lily and Finn. Why were they immune? Why did their connection look different from everyone else's? She believed that in them lay the answer not only to her failures, but maybe to something bigger, something true.
Lily did not care for Dr. Alba's interest. She cared only about the time she had with Finn. But she couldn't escape the feeling that they were being watched. Sometimes, when she walked past tall buildings, she felt eyes on her. Sometimes, when she sat in the café across from Finn, she noticed a figure in the corner who seemed to be there too often. She tried to ignore it, but deep down she knew the truth: Dr. Alba was following them.
One evening, while sitting under the stars, Lily finally told Finn the secret she had carried for years. Her voice was soft, almost shaking, as she said, "I don't feel things like others do. Since I was a child, I learned to hide my feelings. It kept me safe. But it also made me empty. Even now, I can't feel love the way others describe it." She waited, afraid he would pull away.
But Finn didn't move. His eyes stayed on her, calm, steady. After a pause, he said, "I don't need you to feel like them. I only need you to feel with me. Whatever it is, however it comes, it's enough."
Those words melted something inside Lily. It wasn't fire. It wasn't lightning. It was something slower, softer like ice slowly cracking in the warmth of the sun. For the first time, she allowed herself to believe that maybe she wasn't broken. Maybe she was simply different.
As the days passed, the bond between them deepened. They began to explore more hidden parts of the city together. They found an abandoned train station where vines grew through the cracks, and they sat there, telling stories. They found a broken bridge where no one went anymore, and they stood there, watching the river flow under the moonlight. These places became their safe corners away from the chaos of the formula driven city.
But trouble was growing. News spread of people demanding that Dr. Alba be punished. Some said she had destroyed their lives. Others wanted her to release a cure to undo what she had done. Groups formed, protests grew louder, and anger spread through the streets. The city was not only full of broken hearts now; it was becoming dangerous.
Finn worried about Lily. He knew she liked to walk alone sometimes, to escape and think. "Be careful," he told her. "The city isn't safe anymore." She nodded, but inside she felt restless. She wanted answers too. Why was she immune? Why did she and Finn feel different? And most of all, what did Dr. Alba want from them?
One afternoon, Lily went to the old bookstore where she first met Finn. She wanted to be alone, to think. But as she sat among the dusty shelves, she heard a voice behind her. "You really are unique," the voice said. She turned and saw Dr. Freya Alba standing there.
Dr. Alba was not what Lily expected. She wasn't cold or cruel. She looked tired, worn down by her own creation. Her eyes carried both pride and regret. "You and Finn," she said softly, "you are my missing pieces. The formula works on everyone else, but not on you. That means there is something inside you that even I cannot control. I need to understand it."
Lily's hands curled into fists. "We're not experiments," she said firmly. "We're people."
Dr. Alba nodded, but her gaze was sharp. "That's why you matter. You and Finn may hold the truth of what love really is. Not a chemical, not a formula, but something beyond my reach. Don't you want to know why?"
Lily didn't answer. She didn't trust Dr. Alba, but the words echoed in her mind. Was their connection real because it couldn't be forced? Was it proof that love, true love, could not be bottled?
When she told Finn about the meeting later, he grew quiet. "She's dangerous," he said. "Even if she doesn't mean to be. To her, we'll always be subjects, not people. We need to be careful."
Lily agreed, but she couldn't shake the thought: maybe Dr. Alba was right. Maybe there was something different in them, something the world needed to see.