It was just past sundown when they piled into the van, the sky still clinging to gold before turning velvet. They hadn't even been in Bali for a full day, but the energy was too high, the air too thick with possibility to just stay in and unwind.
"We're only staying for two days—we need to go. Night market." Elias had declared, already halfway into an outfit change and somehow louder than usual.
Luca didn't object. Neither did Val. And once Nicky simply nodded, it was settled.
Now, they were here—stepping into the soft, sultry buzz of Ubud's night market, where the lanterns swung low and warm and the air was a heady mix of grilled satay, jasmine smoke, diesel fumes, and tropical heat.
Music drifted from somewhere down the alley, the soft hum of gamelan bells undercut by the shuffle of flip-flops and bargaining voices.
