{The bosses are all named "Author," huh? Nice.}

Anais, Itya, and Kris spent a lot of time not talking to Majya when she got back to their apartment. Majya couldn't tell whether they were angry with her or angry with themselves for pressuring her to go to a party when they knew she'd be hungry.

She supposed it didn't matter now.

"I'm pretty sure no one saw me," Majya tried one morning. "We won't have to leave here. Everyone who knows is dead."

"Yeah, including the man I love." They were the first words anyone had spoken to Majya in days. Kris looked especially fierce when she said them, but it gave Majya hope.

"Please, you knew him for half a hour," Itya suppressed the half-smile tugging at her mouth.

"Half an hour is enough when it's the right one," Kris said, raising an eyebrow. "When you know, you know."

Anais could no longer hold in his laughter. "Yeah, the right one or five. You've eaten more of your 'true loves' than Majya has."

Kris smiled. "Well, their lives are so short, and this way, they're always with me," she said.

At that, Itya and Majya joined in the laughter. Everyone slipped up sometimes, after all. There was no point being mad about it.