As the evening sets in, Ace, Kieran, Jun, Rey, Marsel, and Elira gather around the dining table at Marsel and Elira's house.
The atmosphere is warm, filled with laughter and conversation.
The food is spread generously across the table, and the scent of home-cooked meals fills the air.
Elira occasionally glances at Ace, her eyes softening as she watches him interact with the others.
Though he has been gone for a while, she doesn't want to smother him.
Marsel is the same, though less obvious about it. He talks to Ace like he always has, treating him no differently from Jun.
But there's a moment when he reaches out, patting Ace's shoulder lightly as he pours him a drink.
Jun and Rey, meanwhile, are their usual lively selves. Jun teases Ace every chance he gets, and Rey playfully backs him up.