Marcus grinned, gesturing with a pen towards the empty space where Y/n had stood not an hour ago, delivering Kai's forgotten lunch.

Kai shook his head, a faint, fond smile touching his lips. He didn't take the bait, but the warmth in his chest was undeniable. He could still picture Y/n's smile, the quick kiss before they'd headed out the door.

Priya finally looked up, her expression softening.

The words had barely left her mouth when the red phone on the desk shattered the fragile quiet. Its shrill, demanding ring was a sound that cut through every other noise in the department, a sound that promised chaos.

He listened, his face unreadable. The voice on the other end crackled with urgency—a multi-vehicle collision, a drunk driver, high-speed impact. The usual stream of information. But then came the description. The victim. A young woman, mid-twenties, long dark hair.

Marcus's voice came from a long way away. Kai's hand was trembling slightly as he set the phone back in its cradle.

Kai looked at her, and for a moment, he was completely lost. The colour had drained from his face, leaving him pale as a sheet.

The silence in the room was deafening. Marcus and Priya exchanged a look, the unspoken question hanging between them. They knew Y/n. They'd seen that jacket. They'd seen that necklace.

The ambulance bay doors were ahead. The wail of sirens was growing louder, closer. Kai stood there, frozen, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. The world had shrunk to the red and blue flash of lights, the screech of tires, the frantic shouts of paramedics.

It was her.