The next morning at the Oath Gazette, the staff congratulated Roman Kitt on his engagement to Elinor Little. Roman, immaculately dressed and composed, accepted the praise with a polite smile. From across the room, Iris Winnow watched and, remembering his reluctance from their lunch, recognized the sadness behind his public mask. Their eyes met briefly, and Iris perceived Roman’s exhaustion before breaking the gaze.

Iris returned to drafting an essay inspired by the myth recently sent through her wardrobe when Sarah Prindle brought a constable’s notice to her desk. Sarah explained that a woman had been killed by a tram and needed identification. When Iris read the description—a mid-forties woman with light brown hair, fair skin, barefoot, wearing a purple coat—she felt dread rising.

Shaken, Iris abruptly left the office, forgetting her trench coat and leaving her work unfinished. She hurried toward Station Nine, trying to convince herself it was not her mother. She had not seen Aster Winnow in over a day and realized she had failed to check her mother’s room that morning.

At the station steps, Iris hesitated until an officer directed her inside. The corridors blurred as she was led to an examination room where the coroner stood beside a covered body on a metal table. The sheet revealed a woman with a facial gash who otherwise appeared to be sleeping.

Recognizing her mother, Aster Winnow, Iris reached out as if to wake her but could not close the distance. The coroner asked for identification, and Iris whispered confirmation that the woman was her mother. Overwhelmed, Iris collapsed and lost consciousness.