~Kendrix
The ride felt longer than it was.
Ardent’s car hummed over the road, quiet except for the faint rumble of the mana engine and the rhythmic sweep of the wipers. Night pressed against the tinted glass, the city lights sliding by in blurred streaks of white and gold. Denzel sat to my left, elbow against the window, face unreadable.
I watched the reflection of Ardent in the rearview mirror. His eyes didn’t move from the road.
We hadn’t spoken since leaving the arena. The silence sat heavy.
Halfway through the trip, he finally broke it.
“How long have you known her?” His tone was casual on the surface, but every word carried weight.
I didn’t have to ask who he meant. “Ciela?”
“Yes.”
“A few months,” I said. “Feels like longer.”
Ardent hummed like that answer wasn’t enough. “An
