The city was restless. Every day the streets grew louder with protests. People carried signs, shouting for Dr. Alba to answer for what she had done. Broken couples screamed at each other in public, blaming the formula for promises they no longer wanted to keep. Some still clung to each other desperately, terrified of losing the feelings that had once felt so strong. It was as if the entire city had been torn open, its heart left raw and exposed.
Lily and Finn tried to stay away from the chaos. They kept to quiet corners, their secret places. But no matter how hard they tried, the noise of the city always reached them. It was in the newspapers, on the radio, even in the voices of strangers passing them on the street. They couldn't escape it.
One evening, as they sat together on the broken bridge, Finn spoke in a low voice. "What if we can't run from it forever? What if we're already part of it?"
Lily looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
He sighed. "Dr. Alba. The formula. The protests. The city is falling apart because of what she created. And she believes we're the key. I don't want her to use us, but maybe she's right about one thing we are different. Maybe we have to face it."
Lily stayed quiet. She didn't like the idea of being part of anything bigger than them. She wanted to protect what they had, fragile and new. But deep down, she knew Finn was right. They couldn't hide forever.
Days later, Dr. Alba made her move. She held a public meeting, promising to explain herself. Thousands came, filling the square in front of the government building. The air was tense, full of anger and fear. Lily and Finn didn't want to go, but something pulled them there. They stood at the edge of the crowd, watching.
Dr. Alba stepped onto the stage, her white coat glowing under the lights. She didn't look proud or powerful. She looked tired, older than her years. Her voice carried through the square.
"I created the Love Formula to understand what makes us human," she said. "I wanted to unlock the mystery of connection. But I was wrong. I thought love could be measured, copied, shared like a drink. I forgot that real love cannot be forced. It must be chosen."
The crowd shouted at her, some cursing, some demanding answers. She raised her hands. "I know many of you suffer because of my work. I cannot undo what has been done. But I have found something… someone… who may hold the truth." Her eyes swept the crowd. For a moment, Lily felt them land directly on her.
Finn grabbed Lily's hand. "She's talking about us," he whispered.
Panic rose in Lily's chest. She wanted to run, but the crowd was too thick. Dr. Alba continued, her words sharp and clear. "Two people were not touched by the formula. Two people stood apart while the rest of the city fell under its spell. They prove that love is not only chemistry. They prove that love is still real."
The crowd erupted in confusion. Some shouted questions. Others tried to find the faces of the two immune ones. Lily and Finn kept their heads low, hearts racing.
That night, they ran back to the rooftop where they always met. Lily's voice shook. "She's going to expose us. The whole city will know. They'll want answers. They'll tear us apart just to understand why we're different."
Finn held her shoulders. "We won't let that happen. We'll stay hidden if we have to. We'll protect this, no matter what."
But even as he said the words, he knew it would not be so easy.
In the days that followed, rumors spread about the immune ones. Some believed they were blessed, a sign of what love was supposed to be. Others called them cursed, dangerous to the order of things. Strangers whispered about them in the streets, though no one knew their names.
Dr. Alba sent letters. The first arrived at Lily's apartment, slid under her door. The words were written in neat handwriting: "I don't want to hurt you. I want to understand you. Meet me. Alone."
Lily burned the letter. But two more arrived in the following weeks. Finn begged her to ignore them, yet curiosity she was. What if Dr. Alba was right? What if there was something inside her worth knowing?
Finally, against Finn's wishes, Lily agreed to meet the scientist. She went alone, to the same bookstore where they had first spoken. Dr. Alba was waiting, sitting calmly with a book in her hands.
"You came," she said softly, closing the book.
"I don't trust you," Lily answered.
"You don't have to," Dr. Alba said. "But listen. You and Finn are not broken. You are proof that love is not a trick of chemicals. You are what people need to believe in again. Let me study you not as experiments, but as guides."
Lily shook her head. "You can't study love. That's what broke the city in the first place."
Dr. Alba leaned closer. "Then let me protect you. Others will come looking. The government, other scientists. They will not be kind like me. If they find out who you are, they'll take you. Let me shield you before it's too late."
Lily left without giving an answer. Her chest felt heavy as she walked back to Finn. She didn't know what to believe anymore.
That night, as they sat under the stars, she told Finn everything. His face grew hard. "She's trying to pull you in. She doesn't care about us only what we represent. If we let her close, we'll lose ourselves."
Lily wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that hiding together was enough. But the more she thought about it, the more she feared Dr. Alba might be right about one thing. The world would come for them. And when it did, no rooftop or garden could keep them safe.