Nicky's lips curved into a cold smirk.
"Don't say that out loud. For all we know, Luna herself might be the enemy we're facing. If our opponent knows you're Sebastian's friend, then of course they'll hire someone stronger than you—someone who can match you, maybe even crush you. Otherwise, what's the point of choosing anyone else?"
Ryan rolled his eyes with practiced annoyance.
"Even if Luna shows up, I can handle her. She's been gone for years, Nicky. You can't be sure who's better now. People love to compare me to her, like I'm nothing but a shadow. They even call me 'the second Luna.'" His jaw tightened. "My name is Joshua, not second Luna."
Nicky gave a short, mocking laugh.
"Oh, come on. During Luna's prime, you couldn't even touch the kind of achievements she had. Now that you've grown, now that you've improved, you think you're untouchable? Does being better now mean you've stopped caring about anyone else's shadow?"