The mood in the room shifted. The teasing, the laughter—it all faded as a weight settled over them. Yoru felt it first, a slow, creeping pressure curling around his ribs like a tightening rope.
Jin's arm was still draped around Kaiya's shoulder, his body relaxed, but his eyes… his eyes were sharp, calculating. Kaiya held onto him in return, her grip firm as if grounding herself for what was coming.
Yoru instinctively tightened his hold on Aira, wrapping his arms securely around her waist. She didn't protest. Instead, she leaned back into his chest, trusting, waiting.
Jin exhaled, his voice steady yet laced with something heavier.
"So… Kai told me to guide you about everything we do from 5:00 p.m."
Yoru swallowed hard. The words seemed simple enough, but he knew better. Nothing about their world was simple.
Aira stiffened slightly in his lap, her small hands clutching at his sleeves.
