The Hunter Association elevator in district 5 sent a smooth vibration travelling up through Julien's body.
He stood rigid in the centre of the cabin.
The mana-suppressing steel cuffs felt like weights against his wrists, injecting into his bruised skin with every minor shift of the carriage.
Beside him, Chris leaned against the wall.
His breathing carried a rough, painful wheeze from his cracked ribs, and the scent of blood and sweat spread to both of them, a harsh contrast to the elevator's ambient aroma.
Julien tilted his head toward the sound of his friend's ragged breathing.
"Hey," he whispered, keeping his voice as low as possible.
"Does it look clean?"
Chris let out a tired breath and leaned in closer.
"Way too clean," he whispered back, awe mixing with his exhaustion.
"You would think we were in District 1 or something. The floors are basically mirrors that I feel bad just bleeding on them."
