Ezra wasn't sure whether it was the way Kai looked at him or the quiet that followed after he'd silently decided, Fine, I'm in. Either way, something irreversible shifted between them.
Kai didn't give him time to process it.
"Get your jacket," Kai said, already heading for the door.
"It's midnight," Ezra replied.
"Exactly."
They moved through the sleeping city in silence, the sound of wet tires on asphalt following them. Streetlights glowed faintly in the mist, and the smell of rain lingered in the air.
Ezra thought they were heading toward the usual places—one of Kai's bars, maybe, or another grimy alley where words were replaced by stares. Instead, they stopped in front of a convenience store at the edge of downtown.
Inside, the lone cashier barely looked up from his phone. And sitting on a stack of crates by the side entrance was Jace—Kai's friend, occasional accomplice, and constant thorn in Ezra's side.
Jace's grin widened when he saw them. "So it's true," he said. "Our boy finally said yes."
Ezra frowned. "I didn't—"
Kai cut in. "He did. And we're starting tonight."
Jace hopped down from the crates, stepping closer until Ezra could smell the faint trace of smoke on him. "Welcome to the club, sweetheart."
Ezra bristled, but Kai didn't give him time to argue. He slipped a small, black envelope into Ezra's jacket pocket.
"Here's your first dare," Kai said. "You open it after we walk in."
Ezra's pulse quickened. "Walk in where?"
Kai tilted his head toward the store. "In there."
Jace clapped him on the shoulder, almost too hard to be friendly. "Don't mess it up. I've got money riding on you."
Ezra didn't know what unsettled him more—the idea of the dare itself or the fact that Kai's eyes were on him the whole time, as if measuring something deeper than courage.
The bell above the door chimed when they entered. The cashier barely glanced up. Ezra's fingers itched toward the envelope.
Kai's voice was a whisper at his ear. "Remember… once you start, there's no going back."
Ezra tore the envelope open. Inside was a single card with bold, handwritten letters:
Steal something. But not for you.
His eyes flicked up at Kai. "What the hell does that mean?"
Kai's lips curled into the faintest smirk. "You'll figure it out."
And just like that, Ezra realized—this wasn't about theft. It was about seeing whether he could bend the rules without breaking himself.
Jace leaned against the shelf, clearly enjoying the show. "Tick-tock, sweetheart."
Ezra took a slow breath. The store was small—just two aisles, a drink fridge, and the counter. The camera in the corner clicked softly, its red light blinking.
The item he picked would say more about him than he wanted anyone here to know.