It was already evening when Adrian stepped into the elevator, his hoodie hood half-drawn and an energy drink in hand. The hallway was quiet—only the soft hum of ambient lights and far-off traffic through the window panels.
"Hold the door?" a voice called from down the hall.
Adrian glanced up.
It was Elara.
He casually reached back and tapped the 'Open' button, holding the door just as she arrived. She stepped in, slightly breathless but smiling politely.
"Thanks," she said.
Adrian gave a faint nod as the elevator doors slid shut behind them.
He stood casually, leaning against the mirrored wall, earbuds in, a half-finished can of energy drink in one hand. The moment she stepped in, he gave a nod. Relaxed. Blank.
She nodded back. Silent.
The doors closed.
Adrian press the button of their floor.
The silence stretched. Tension pressed against the fluorescent air.
Elara broke it first.
"You ever play on Emberstone Burrow?"
