The silence between the two groups stretched longer than it should have.
Eve's gaze slid toward Rihanna, sharp and measured. There was no mistaking it, the calm warmth in Rihanna's eyes was meant for Jace. Not the group. Just him.
And Rihanna... she noticed.
She met Eve's eyes with a smile that didn't quite reach the corners of her lips. "So... you're Jace's teammate?"
"I am," Eve said, her tone cool. "We've fought together. Watched each other's backs."
"Must be nice," Rihanna replied lightly, but there was an edge beneath it, something quiet but unmistakable. "We've been through a lot together too. Before any of this."
Jace glanced between them, completely unware of the tension . He rubbed the back of his neck. "Right. So, uh... Eve, Nick these are the other summoned heroes. Rihanna, Finn, Ivy, Zane. And this is Dante, our commander."
Nick gave a slight bow, ever the smooth talker. "Pleasure to meet you all."
Eve, however, didn't take her eyes off Rihanna. "He never mentioned any of you."
Rihanna raised a brow. "Really? I wonder why."
"I don't know," Eve said, folding her arms. "Maybe because he didn't want the past getting in the way of the present."
"Or maybe," Rihanna replied, "because he didn't want to worry you."
Jace stepped between them, holding up a hand. "Okay, okay. Can we... not do this right now?"
Both girls fell quiet, but the message between their eyes remained unspoken. The kind of rivalry that didn't need to be said aloud. Not yet.
Finn cleared his throat, breaking the awkward tension. "Well, that was... interesting."
Ivy chuckled and leaned in toward Nick. "They always like this?"
Nick grinned. "You should've seen them arguing about dinner."
Zane, standing in the back with arms crossed, let out a short scoff. "This is ridiculous."
Dante's voice cut through the group. "We'll make camp nearby. Jace, decide by nightfall. If you're coming with us, we move at dawn."
Jace nodded. "Understood."
As the others dispersed to set up camp or check their equipment, Eve walked a few paces away, her eyes locked on the horizon. Jace followed.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she said without looking at him. "Just... didn't expect that."
"I was going to tell you. About me. I just... didn't want to mess things up."
"You didn't," she said. Then, turning to him, her voice quieter "I think you should go with them, me and nick will stay here until you return."
Jace looked at her and said "okay i will and return as soon as possible."
From a short distance, Rihanna watched them, a flicker of uncertainty in her expression.
Finn came up beside her. "You alright?"
She smiled faintly. "Yeah. Just wondering what kind of person he's become in our absence."
Finn followed her gaze toward Jace and Eve. "Maybe we're all about to find out."
To be continued…