The Witness Dresses

The smell of something warm and slightly sweet drifted through the apartment — softly spiced, rich with butter and herbs, a teasing whisper of garlic and toasted bread.

Risa groaned from the cocoon of blankets on Amy's bed. "Is that… real food?"

Lumi's reply was muffled by the pillow. "If I die right now, bury me in it."

"Correction," Risa murmured, rolling over and squinting at the ceiling. "I think we're already in heaven."

"Nope," Lumi said, suddenly sitting upright with wild hair and bleary eyes. "This is Amy's apartment, which means—"

"She cooked."

Both said it at once.

The two scrambled out of bed like children on a holiday morning and nearly collided at the bedroom door before catching the scent again. In the kitchen, standing calm amidst the quiet chaos of steam and sizzling butter, was Amy — hair tied back, apron on, flipping something golden and crisp in a pan.

"You're awake," she said without looking, her voice soft but steady. "Just in time."

"What is that?" Lumi asked, inching closer like a cat to warmth.

"Creamy rosemary scrambled eggs, sourdough toast with garlic-butter crust, and a baked tomato hash," Amy replied, plating the last portion.

"You're insane," Risa said, sitting down at the table already. "How are you even real?"

Amy just smiled. "Sit. Eat."

They didn't need to be told twice. In minutes, the kitchen filled with quiet chewing, satisfied groans, and the occasional clink of forks against plates.

"You know," Risa said, mouth half full, "if you wanted to quit school and become a private chef for rich heiresses, I'd support that."

"You are eating like one," Amy replied with a smirk.

Lumi sipped her juice. "Best. Pre-party meal. Ever."

Amy nodded absently, her mind already ahead — ticking through a checklist of timelines, supplies, escape routes, and now, tonight's event. One step at a time.

When the last crumb was gone and the plates cleared, the energy shifted.

Lumi clapped her hands. "Operation 'Make Amy Unreasonably Gorgeous' begins now!"

Amy gave her a look. "You've been naming operations again."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Hair dryers. Eyeliner pencils. Sparkling lip balm. Risa's highlighter palette. Lumi's arsenal of pins and brushes. Their laughter bounced between rooms, interrupted only by outfit swaps and shouted opinions from across the hallway.

Amy sat at her vanity — well, technically her desk, currently buried under hair clips and makeup trays — as Lumi carefully worked on her braid, wrapping it around in a half-crown style before letting the rest fall in gentle waves. Risa sat at the edge of the bed, legs crossed, painting her nails a deep wine red.

When they finished — dresses on, jewelry in place, shoes matched, perfume carefully misted — Risa glanced at the time.

"…It's barely six."

"Wait, what?" Lumi blinked. "We're early?"

Amy glanced at her phone. "We've got nearly an hour."

Risa flopped back onto the bed with a dramatic groan. "That's illegal. I was mentally prepared to sprint out the door."

Amy stared at her reflection for a beat longer, something tightening beneath her ribs.

Then she stood.

"We're going to my grandmother's," she said.

Lumi raised an eyebrow. "Um… okay?"

Amy pulled her coat on. "There's something I want to use."

Risa sat up. "Use?"

Amy met her gaze in the mirror. "We're not taking the Lilac Ghost."

"Oh?" Lumi tilted her head. "Then what?"

Amy smiled. "The Velvet Specter."

There was a pause.

Then Lumi clapped a hand to her chest. "That sounds like a magical girl transformation and I'm so in."

"I thought it was just storage," Risa added, curious now. "What is it? A bike? A glider? Please don't say a rocket."

"You'll see."

Outside, the late afternoon sky was beginning to bruise with the coming dusk. They stepped into the Lilac Ghost — soft, silent, smooth as ever — and drove toward the outskirts of the city, where her grandmother's house waited like a memory she hadn't dared touch.

Risa stared out the window. "Didn't you say your grandma was… kind of a mystery?"

Amy didn't answer directly. "She left me things. Some of them I wasn't ready for. Until now."

Lumi leaned forward between the seats. "Okay, okay. I'm officially intrigued."

The mansion revealed itself at the end of a quiet, tree-lined path — smaller than most, but elegant in a way that felt deliberate. Pale alloy and smart glass framed its curved, minimalist structure. Overgrown hedges softened the edges, but the house still looked alive. Waiting.

Its smooth walls glowed faintly as the sun dipped lower, and soft garden lights blinked on in welcome.

Amy led them toward the side garage — a low-profile black panel tucked seamlessly into the structure. No ivy. No rust. Just dust and silence and the hum of memory.

She typed in the code. The door began to open.

A muted tone sounded, and the door lifted in seamless silence.

And there it was.

Polished, regal, purring softly like it had already sensed their arrival — the Valthera Elance 9, sleek in Starfrost Noir, chrome gleaming under the single overhead light.

The Velvet Specter.

Risa let out a low whistle. "Oh... damn."

Lumi took a step forward and nearly squealed. "Amy! You've been hiding this?! This is gorgeous!"

Amy's fingers brushed the smooth frame. "It's not just for looking at."

She opened the door and glanced back at them.

"Let's go make an entrance."