He let himself sink further against the stone, letting the ache in his limbs hum. The truth was uglier than he let slip, his mana core had been running dangerously close to overheat. Another push like that [Cataclysm Vector], and he'd have been unconscious in the snow. But that wasn't information he felt like sharing.
'Besides. If she thinks I'm closer to empty, maybe she'll stop staring like she's weighing whether to slit my throat in my sleep.'
Selindra hadn't looked away. She sat with her blade balanced across her knees, posture impeccable even at rest. She studied him with the kind of quiet patience that wasn't human. Like a predator watching for the smallest twitch.
Lucen met her eyes without blinking, smirk fixed in place. "You keep glaring like that, you'll wrinkle before your thirties."
For the first time, something flickered in her eyes. Not amusement. Not anger either. Just… a shift. Then she looked away.
