"Hey," B67 whispered again, voice barely above the hum of the drone. "You think… you think they'll give us an easy one?"
Liu Xian stared at the kid for a moment then looked away.
What did he know. The portal's secret was more of a mystery to him than to anyone else in the room. So what kind of answer did the kid possibly expect?
The only certainty in Liu Xian's mind was that death was not an option. Not for him. His fingers clenched hard around the hilt of his blade.
The B67 voice cracked under the silence.
His grip on his crossbow tightened until his knuckles went pale. He glanced down, embarrassed, then tried again, softer this time. "If we get separated… if things get bad… don't leave me, okay?"
The words hung there.
Liu Xian felt them. Heard them. But he didn't react. Didn't bother to move his lips, didn't give him the courtesy of a lie. His eyes stayed fixed on the wall, the glowing countdown, the letters of their team assignment.
