Sophia looked at him thoughtfully. For a split second, Constantin thought he saw a smile flicker across her lips. He could only guess whether it was a smile of solidarity or if he seemed ridiculous in his philosophical musings.

They spent the entire evening discussing various topics and taste preferences. It turned out they had a lot in common despite their different personalities.

Constantin unobtrusively studied her face, trying to memorize every line so he could later paint her portrait from memory.

While talking to him, Sophia occasionally glanced away and looked off into the distance over his shoulder. For a moment, it even seemed like someone was standing there.

Constantin glanced over his shoulder. At a nearby table, a couple was sitting together, sharing an ice cream and laughing loudly.

“Do you know them?” asked Van.

“No, I don’t think so. They just look so happy. Maybe it’s the ice cream,” Sophia replied with a smile.

“Or maybe it’s that they’re just good together. Everything else is just props.”

“But I’m definitely going to order some ice cream,” she said, waving to the waiter.

Constantin was talking to Sophia, surrounded by the glow of hanging lights and the enveloping scents of hoisin sauce and garlic. The weather was gradually turning, with a breeze beginning to pick up from the sea. Yet, it seemed the two of them were oblivious to it.

Libby was making an effort not to draw unnecessary attention to herself in Sophia’s presence.

There were already plenty of guides around, curiously glancing at them. The appearance of the Ephor always sparked discussions, and a wave of speculation was beginning to engulf the Community. Information among the Guides and Ephors had long lost its confidentiality. In a modern world where gossip and snitching were valued, harmful habits had not spared the guides (or were they the very founders of this detrimental phenomenon?).

The incident in the studio and Constantin's painting quickly became the news of the day in the Upper World. Every passing guide cast a glance at Elizabeth. Some looked on with sympathy, others with judgment, and some with outright hatred.

The lower-ranking Guides feared her. They were afraid that one person's mistakes would impact everyone's work, that a chain of failures was contagious, like chickenpox. The older guides used Elizabeth as a bad example among their ranks, saying, "There's always a white crow in the family, and she is their leader."

She had to adapt to the new reality. A reality in which she had become an outcast in just a couple of weeks.

She could only wonder why the Archon hadn’t demoted her yet or removed her from her assignment. Each day, she looked at Constantin in fear that it might be her last. She had been trained not to get attached to her charges, to show empathy while maintaining a clear view of the situation. Now, however, Libby wanted to be visible. She longed to share with Constantin, as she would with a brother, all the burdens she had endured while being near him. While he painted the fiery sunsets and the green seaweed on the sandy beach day and night, Kallidus sat like a faithful dog in a lotus pose by the painting, fearing each new stroke of watercolor.

"Why so slow?" she asked the guide, who was carelessly finishing her meal.

Sophia looked up and glanced at Libby, who stood with her arms crossed behind her, watching her charge.

Constantin naturally noticed this and assumed that Sophia was distracted by a couple enjoying ice cream.

Libby, in turn, looked around and focused on the guides of the couple. The girl had a guide named Nomadum. He was a dark-skinned man with snake-like skin and yellow eyes, who kept nudging his charge to be more sociable and friendly with her boyfriend. The sleeves of his wine-colored shirt were rebelliously rolled up, and the shirt itself was wrinkled and worn in places, as if he had hurriedly dashed out after his charge.

The guy, on the other hand, had a guide named Lombask. He was a man in a business suit with perfectly styled hair slicked back. He constantly glanced at his notebook, jotting something down with a pretentious expression, tapping his sharp claw against the pages. He was probably making a list of the girl’s flaws to ensure the date wouldn’t last longer than one night.

In the world of guides Lombasks were the most driven and businesslike. They were the careerists among the unseen guides, always presenting a flawless appearance and executing their work with equal perfection. Deep down, Libby envied them. In the history of Guides, there had never been a Lombask who failed in their mission. Even now, when the girl laughed at another joke from her companion, Lombask momentarily glanced up from his notebook before returning to his notes with an emotionless demeanor.

Libby turned away from the guides and focused on Sophia again. She wanted to scream at them, to vent all her pent-up emotions. But she couldn’t do that. In the hierarchy of beings, Guides and Ephors never shouted at each other. They either didn’t interact at all or worked together for the benefit of the charge and the Community. That was exactly what Libby planned to do.

“That was a great time. I didn’t even notice how quickly the time flew by,” said Ephor, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

“I was worried it would rain and ruin all our plans. But it seems like the weather is holding up. I didn’t even realize how long we’ve been here. I thought we’d only been sitting for a couple of hours, but it’s already been four—” Constantin replied, surprised. “Maybe we could continue our conversation somewhere new?”

“I would love to, but I still have some plans for today,” the girl sighed.

“Plans? Are you serious?” Libby finally raised her voice. The Guides in the area turned their attention to them, staring. “Constantin, your only plan is to stay here until everything works out.”

“That’s too bad. But I hope our meeting isn’t the last. There are still many restaurants worth visiting,” Constantin said easily, as he was oblivious to the guide’s remarks and the drama unfolding around him.

“I'll step away for a moment to the restroom, if you don't mind,” the girl said, glancing at Libby.

“Of course,” he nodded.

Elizabeth followed silently behind Sophie, hoping there would be no one else in the bathroom. Once inside the stall, Sophia glared at the Guide. The detached expression on her face was gone.

“Are you deliberately driving me crazy?” she asked.

“No, I just don't understand why you’re stalling,” Libby pouted. Conflicts were unhelpful, and now alone with the Ephor, she felt uneasy.

“I’m acting strictly according to protocol,” she retorted. “First, I need to establish myself in his thoughts, gain his trust. If I buzz around Constantin too insistently, he’ll lose interest in me in a couple of days. Is that what we want?”

“Your protocols,” the Guide muttered. “Feelings aren’t governed by logic.”

“Everything is governed by logic,” Sophia said dryly. “And you would do well to start thinking with your head. So stop rushing me. I know it’s not easy. But if everything were simple, this situation wouldn’t have arisen at all. I’m searching day and night in the sources for similar situations and ways to resolve them.”

“Is it really that bad?” Only now did Libby notice the dark shadows under the girl’s eyes, even though Ephors didn’t need sleep.

“A person can't accurately recall their past life or anyone from it. And they definitely can't see guides and describe them in detail. There's something more here than just a small 'gap' in the subconscious,” the Ephor said thoughtfully. “Does he still have panic attacks?”

“There was one, after he met you on the embankment.”