Claire wiped the tables a little more aggressively than usual.
If it’s not the house... then what is it?
Could it be—the world itself?
“No. It’s probably me.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSo4TCcVXe4
She muttered to herself and scrubbed harder.
But if it was just her, then why only her?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjJVe0KNJq
Was no one else noticing this?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5R8Gu9qQea
Or were there others like her, who just... gave up looking?
“If there is someone like me, how would I even find them?”
She stood by the espresso machine, steaming milk, her brow furrowed.
Then suddenly—smack—she hit the counter.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3GrlFZjXQ
“Wait. Tonight’s the Easter Vigil.”
If anyone knew what to do about “a tomorrow that doesn’t exist,”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdh6Tisbu1
it had to be that guy who came back to life after three days.
Jesus.
The Bible made Him sound like a full-blown sorcerer. Infinite power.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2l57zClSn
Maybe He could help.
“If I’m extra reverent tonight, maybe tomorrow’ll finally move on.”
Claire nodded to herself, decision made.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDpgJYegP7
That evening, she closed up early.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGHqnfi44G
She pan-fried two slices of ham, stuffed them into warm bagels.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOkuRz6NyC
Brewed one cup of coffee, one of milk.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wlizljeyk
Set them at the edge of her apartment’s balcony, just out of the wind.
The note was short:
For Nightwing and Robin.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkXlS1Uffc
Hot food. The milk’s hotter.
P.S. Nightwing—Robin’s looking for you on Queen Street tonight.
And with that, she headed out.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lDXI3namb
The vigil crowd was bigger than she expected.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfVzM6OJG4
Candles everywhere, flickering like they were breathing.
Claire sat among them, eyes closed, repeating quietly in her head:
“Please, Jesus. Help me figure out what’s wrong.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzfZNFqVkv
“I don’t need much. Just let tomorrow… actually happen.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJMzEcgjST
“Or at least… tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
Around her, people prayed, sang slow hymns.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6gHS2rbZ6
The candlelight felt like a soft sedative.
But Claire’s mind stayed razor sharp.
She didn’t believe in God.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiK91fskiI
But tonight, she was willing to pretend—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkewW4OB6N
because facing an endless today alone was getting unbearable.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqF6wZPjNrE
Midnight struck.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi69PtbSBkV
The vigil ended.
Claire walked home feeling... untethered.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡio35evDYcj
Not sure if it was exhaustion or just that hollow, post-hope ache.
She climbed to the third floor, switched on the lights.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5gaLvFxpU
Jacket off, not even halfway to the bedroom—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4wKxWxpMx
She looked up—
Two silhouettes on the balcony.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAQ8uORBhB
One tall. One small.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNrQUIVNxT
Both watching her.
Nightwing. Robin.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBq0NykaAEz
Outlined by the indoor light,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGV2hwBRKmf
like guardian spirits who actually kept their appointments.
Claire froze.
"...Jesus," she muttered. "I asked for help, not a pickup."
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpetkHL8K4
Her brain stalled.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZIY535sJ7
For a few seconds, everything just...buffered.
Then she snapped out of it, walked over, opened the window.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4skUj4rkL
Seriously, what else was she supposed to do?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVd10DnTBo
Leave them standing there like weird bat-themed lawn ornaments?
The two shadows hopped in with practiced ease—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0KnB7pYhh
Same moves as last night. Copy-paste.
Nightwing opened his mouth, looked like he was struggling for an opener.
"Uh… um…"
Claire cut him off: “I’m Claire.”
He blinked, then offered a polite half-smile.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8i9NJDdbc2
“Claire. Thanks for the food, by the way.”
Robin, meanwhile, had gone full wolf cub.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhuKXIa8OP
Eyes sharp, body tense, scanning her like she was a suspect.
“You’re the sorceress?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcS9oZe8CY
His voice was high-pitched, suspicious.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3R2goulAbU
“The one who talks to spirits?”
Claire frowned. “What sorceress? What spirits?”
Robin stepped closer, voice tight:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErAybFTmtO
“Then how’d you know I was on Queen Street?”
Claire blinked. Then smiled—slow, smug, maybe just a little evil.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OeL8xRpDo
“I also knew you skipped dinner. Still hungry, right?”
Robin’s whole face crumpled, like a police dog catching a bad scent.
Nightwing quickly ruffled his hair, like calming a pet.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtSXcj94EO
“Sorry,” he said. “We really just came to say thank you.”
Claire nodded. Didn't say a word.
Nightwing started nudging Robin toward the window.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hLE7ZHSFE
Robin protested: “Don’t push me! I’m serious—we need to know if she’s psychic!”
Claire paused.
Something mischievous slithered up from her boots to her spine.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPSYHEuVHL
A familiar itch.
She called out, loud and clear:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYD7ht7NJV
“Hey!”
Both turned.
Claire tilted her head, voice calm, cryptic.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uVhHtnhCP
“Batman’s looking for Robin. Somewhere in the city. Tonight.”
They froze.
Nightwing immediately touched his comms.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK0UTj3wuJ
Robin snapped his head sideways, like picking up a signal.
And then—
Their eyes widened. In unison.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGzvZRbNN1
They turned to her.
Claire grinned. That kind of grin.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXuDNevrw0
The “gotcha” kind.
Then she stepped forward.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGveQh8FsL
Clunk —window locked.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsG5myGgF7
Shhk —curtains drawn.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcRgNFIVxT
Clean. Final.
She stood there for a moment…31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERHxEuW7rW
And then started laughing.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8i96IKpL6R
Claire sat down and let out a long, tired breath.
She twirled her pen between her fingers, then started drafting.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CzfmUqdRJ
There was no guarantee she’d have time tomorrow morning—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uHoa7qKWk
or that her freaky “remember last night after a reset” skill wouldn’t just crap out again.
Better to write now. While her head was still clear.
She needed to know.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJWP0mAIhY
Was there anyone else out there,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFr1xr7IvG
living the same day, again and again?
At first, the letter got way too long—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yL1WtXBIu
Like something you'd submit to a conspiracy blog with a flashing GIF header.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SZtNqcwJv
Halfway through, she couldn’t even read her own nonsense.
Nope. Start over.
It had to hit fast.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDM49JyWfiS
One glance, and the right person would know.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoaGjN1ceM
This wasn’t a prank.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2IyZZyavs
Wasn’t a dream.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaDtPCDUBR
This was real.
She cut ruthlessly.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5Tj3IDTvV
Trimmed the fluff.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2nYHMTdMr
Boiled it down to just the facts:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5z8LMCFms
Time’s stuck.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANjaau9EHZ
You always wake up at the same moment.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4wCXO9Rws
No one remembers yesterday.
Then, as a final touch, she added something that read like a coded whisper:
“Have you ever felt the sun today won’t reach tomorrow?”
Yeah. That felt right.
She read the note out loud. Again. And again.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1xKXc8aCs
It wouldn’t survive the reset. But she still wanted to remember it.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxqTQ6cp38
She wanted to remember that she’d tried.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE98ACo3Sq1
Even if no one else ever saw it—she wanted to know she hadn’t given up.
Then—
A knock on the window.
She flinched.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP3AdodPYt
Like a nerve snapped.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdx6mqhJeo
Froze in place.
...Again?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliAw7mUBlm
What now?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9bSieLw0z
Was it Nightwing? The kid?
She didn’t go right away.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEI5QjwOMt
Her eyes flicked to the note.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV3XNeBXR5
Then to the clock.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVYiVQikay
It was late. Way too late for casual drop-ins.
Slowly, carefully, she moved to the window.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa91cF7X7K
Lifted one corner of the curtain.
And saw—him.
Tall.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGV2D6RdjNg
Cloaked.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNIi7dhJ7k
Cut from shadows.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC18qIbrdat
Standing on her balcony like a statue carved from myth.
Batman.
Claire’s brain went silent.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rVgPWhrzL
Two full seconds of white noise.
She couldn’t hear her own heartbeat.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgmJNb6c69
Or maybe she could—so loud it drowned out everything else.
He was here.
Why?
She didn’t open the window. Not yet.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIreCqoU9om
Just stared.
At the living legend.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkEOITpC0R
At the ghost of Gotham.
and then Add to home screen.