Ripples Beneath Silk and Steel
Vita Zain's eyes followed the three retreating figures, darkened now by possessiveness.
"Hmph," he muttered under his breath. "I've never failed to take a woman I'm interested in before."
Sound of the crowd drowned out what he said.
Fresh cries rang out as sellers called their amounts. Laughter spilled from kids nearby. Over cracked rock, a cart trundled by, its axles groaning under weight. Life pushed forward without pause, blind to the quiet spark now rooted deep inside a boy too eager to forget.
Far past the noisy street, Rias moved ahead with Selena beside her, Akeno close behind, steps slow under market shades. The man from before meant nothing now, his words already lost in chatter and wind. Their path wound between stalls without hurry, eyes drifting over trinkets, faces calm beneath slanting light.
