"And," Dylan added, "as a bonus… I even managed to bring this lost soul back to the promised land."
That was when the others finally noticed.
Sheila's head turned first. Then Ariana's, followed byMax's.
For a moment, all three of them simply stared.
It had been days since the graduation ceremony.
Days since any of them had last seen him.
And now—
"…Liam?" Ariana said softly, surprise clear in her voice.
Max straightened slightly in his seat, his eyes narrowing just a bit—not in suspicion, but in focus.
"…Did you just reappear out of nowhere?" he asked, his tone calm but curious.
Sheila didn't speak.
But her eyes were on him.
Liam stepped forward just enough to be properly within their space, his expression as composed as ever.
"Hello," he said simply.
The greeting was quiet, but it carried enough weight to settle the brief tension.
Max leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table.
