Chapter 1 – The Ember Call

Jonas Vermeer sat at the edge of his sparse kitchen table, the canal outside whispering its usual secrets. The flat was quiet, save for the occasional creak of old wood and the distant hum of trams. He had lived here for three years, long enough for the solitude to feel earned, not imposed.

A flicker on his screen broke the silence — an email from the Ghent City Office. Subject line: “Archived Planning Request — 2017”. He hesitated. The sender was Lena Demeester.

Jonas hadn’t spoken to Lena in years. Their last interaction had been respectful but distant, a quiet nod across a conference room after months of unresolved tension. She had always been pragmatic, warm in her own way, but skeptical of the tech Jonas had tried to introduce. Their conflict had been professional, but the nostalgia it stirred now was personal.

“Jonas, I found something odd in the old zoning archive. It references a system you proposed — one that was never approved. But the file has been updated… last week. Can we talk?”

Jonas leaned back. The archive was supposed to be dormant. He hadn’t touched that proposal since he left the city office. And yet, someone — or something — had.

He stared at the canal. The water reflected the amber streetlights like molten memory. His emotional state, once detached, now shifted toward cautious engagement. The triggers were all there: ethical compromise, urban decay, and now… unexpected kindness.

He replied with a single line: “Meet me tomorrow. Same place.”

You’ll never believe what happened next…