The words were calm, but edged, like everything Varik said. Not anger. Just fact.
Lucen exhaled through his nose, looking away toward the blank screens. "Maybe. Or maybe the monster was about to flatten both of us, and I had to actually try for a second."
"You're not careless," Varik said. "So why now?"
Lucen's eyes slid back to him, sharp under the half-lid of amusement. "You tell me, oh wise one. You're the top ten. I'm just some rookie with a 'bad habit of overextending,' remember?"
Varik didn't blink. Didn't flinch. Just stared, the kind of look that made it hard to tell what he was holding back.
Lucen felt the weight of it settle on him, prickling along his skin. He leaned forward slightly, dropping his boots from the table. His voice lowered.
"You're the only one who knows. You planning to start telling people now?"
Varik's silence stretched. Then: "No."
Lucen smirked, leaning back again. "Good answer."
