The meeting room was already half full when they arrived.
Glass walls, long table, soft hum of the AC—designed for collaboration, not secrets. Everyone settled into their seats, chairs scraping lightly against the floor. Books opened. Laptops slid out. Familiar noise.
Nyx stood.
"I'll work together on the research," she said, voice steady, controlled.
For a second, the room paused.
Amara's face lit up instantly. Ella and Isha exchanged quick smiles, almost relieved—as if they'd been waiting for this approval, this sign that Nyx was finally joining them.
Lyra leaned back in her chair, grinning. "See? Progress."
Then, casually—too casually—Lyra added, "Ten, by the way, I came to your place yesterday."
Nyx didn't look up from her book.
"You weren't picking my calls," Lyra continued. "Around three at night. Where were you?"
Silence slipped into the room, thin but noticeable.
Nyx raised her head slowly. "What were you doing at my place at that hour?"
Lyra blinked, then sighed. "My granny suddenly got sick. We had to admit her to the hospital. I needed you—I called, but you didn't answer. I thought you were asleep, so I went to pick you up. But you weren't there."
Nyx's fingers curled.
Just slightly.
Her fists folded against the edge of the table.
"I was at my sister's place," she said calmly. "I went to meet her."
She loosened her grip, hands opening again as if nothing had happened. "I hope your granny gets well soon."
Lyra's expression softened. "I hope so too."
Amara leaned forward immediately. "We should all visit her. Give her our well wishes."
Lyra smiled. "Thank you. That means a lot."
Conversation resumed. Chairs shifted. Someone laughed softly.
Nyx lowered her gaze back to her books, eyes scanning lines without really seeing them.
Lucien's POV
She lied.
Not in her voice—her tone never changes.
But her hands did.
She folded her fists when she said it.
Subtle. Almost unnoticeable. But I caught it.
Interesting.
A habit, maybe.
People always have one.
Nyx's POV
Damn it.
I hope no one notices.
I've trained myself to control my voice, my eyes, my breathing—but habits are dangerous things. They surface when you least expect them.
If someone figures this out—
It won't just be embarrassing.
It'll be a disadvantage.
And disadvantages get you killed.
Nyx turned another page, expression unreadable.
Across the table, Lucien looked down at his notes.
Neither of them spoke.
But something unspoken had already begun.
Time slipped by in calculations and scribbled notes, numbers blurring into patterns Nyx had already solved twice in her head.
She closed her notebook.
Chairs shifted as she stood.
Alex glanced up. "You done?"
"I need to fetch a book from the library," Nyx said. Then, almost as an afterthought, "Wanna accompany, Lucien?"
For the first time since the meeting began, Lucien looked up properly.
Their eyes met.
Not briefly. Not awkwardly.
It lingered—measured, searching—like two people exchanging information without language. No challenge. No warmth either. Just awareness.
Lucien shut his book. "I've got work in the library too," he said. "Let's go."
They stood at the same time.
No glances back. No explanations.
Just two shadows peeling away from the group.
Their footsteps aligned as they walked out, side by side, the glass door sliding shut behind them.
Amara watched them disappear and grinned. "Don't you guys think they'd make a great—and powerful—couple?"
Elias scoffed. "Stop joking. Lucien's not into that stuff."
Lyra shook her head. "Same with Nyx. That kind of thing doesn't even cross her mind."
Ella rolled her eyes. "Please. You all sound like you're dying to ship them. Focus on the assignment."
The table laughed it off.
But something had shifted.
In the corridor, the lights hummed softly overhead.
Nyx and Lucien walked in silence.
No small talk. No awkwardness.
Just purpose.
Two people heading to the same place—for entirely different reasons.
And somehow, neither of them minded the company.