LUCA
We stood there, facing each other, and for a moment the world narrowed down to just the three of us.
Savon, me and Aria.
None of us said a thing.
Savon and I stared at each other, neither willing to blink first. His face was too calm, but his eyes were sharp and calculating. I felt immediately, the unspoken challenge humming in the air. It was not loud or dramatic. It was quiet and deliberate, like a blade drawn slowly from its sheath.
I could feel Aria’s gaze moving between us. I did not have to look at her to know she was uncomfortable. Her presence was a steady pull at my side, grounding and distracting at the same time.
She cleared her throat, but we still said nothing.
“Hello,” she said at last, and the moment broke.
Savon shifted first, his expression smoothing out as i
