Just as Shadow was about to finish his food, someone stopped at his table.
It wasn't anyone from his group.
He looked up slightly and saw her.
A girl with pink hair stood there, the same one he had noticed before. It didn't take long to recognize her. She was the one from the arena demonstration, the one who had cut Jaden's head off so cleanly that it stayed in his mind even now.
Seeing her here felt different. The arena had distance, noise, and tension. This was just a table, food, and a quiet moment that suddenly wasn't so quiet anymore.
Shadow leaned back just a little and looked at her.
She looked back at him.
Neither of them rushed to speak.
Talia had already noticed what was happening. Her eyes moved between them, picking up on the strange atmosphere that had formed out of nowhere. A few students nearby had started paying attention too, their conversations slowing as they tried to understand what was going on.
Shadow reached for a napkin from the table.
