The air inside the moss-lit cave carried a rare, lazy peace—if you ignored the occasional beast screaming as it got mulched by a vibration pulse, a dagger, or in one case, Graye's flying elbow drop.
Raven sat atop a mossy boulder near the back, still gloriously bare-chested like the world's most reluctant fantasy heartthrob.
Siris clung to him like a barnacle in love, her head resting on his shoulder, breathing evenly.
Clara was off braiding Selena's hair with surprising skill, while Graye attempted push-ups in full armor to "get swole."
It was the kind of calm that only came once in a hundred chaotic encounters.
Raven knew that meant it was the perfect time to open the system interface.
He willed for it, and it opened.
The air shimmered faintly around him, invisible to others.
In the corners of his vision, familiar blue text boxes popped into existence like long-lost emails from a very passive-aggressive boss.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONS: 153 Unread.]
