The association corridor emptied behind them without ceremony.
Linda's presence lingered in the air longer than her footsteps. Logan felt it the way one feels a blade that has already been sheathed but not put away. The four of them walked in loose formation toward the nearest transit line that would take them north, closer to the hub she had named.
No one spoke for the first several minutes.
Liora kept her silver hair tucked under a plain hood Luna had found for her. The blue of her eyes stayed sharp even in the dimmer light of the side streets. Ethan walked a half step apart from the rest, shoulders tight, the cut on his shoulder already sealed but still visible under the fabric. Luna's attention moved constantly, reading corners and rooftops the way she always did when the pressure rose.
Logan let the silence hold. Talking too early would only sharpen the edges that already existed between them.
