The throne of dominance

Chapter 8: Eyes of the Enemy

The first light of morning streamed through the windows of the inn, the golden hues soft and warm against the cool tones of the room. The four of them—Jean, Jonas, Yuri, and Zane—began to stir, the faint sounds of the bustling city outside pulling them from their exhausted slumber. Jean was the first to sit up, groaning as he stretched his arms high above his head, wincing slightly at the stiffness in his muscles.

"Morning already?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Feels like I just closed my eyes."

Jonas sat up next, his hair sticking up in all directions as he blinked groggily at the sunlight pouring in. "Same," he said, his voice hoarse from sleep. "I think my body forgot what rest feels like."

On the other side of the room, Zane was already awake, seated cross-legged on her bed, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders as she polished the edge of her blade with quiet precision. Yuri was the last to wake, groaning dramatically as he flopped onto his side, burying his face into the pillow.

Jean glanced around the room, his gaze settling on Jonas and Zane. He tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes as he noticed the two sitting a bit too close to each other. Jonas hadn't moved far from his spot, and Zane, while intent on her blade, seemed entirely at ease beside him.

Jean's lips twitched into a mischievous grin as he leaned toward Yuri, nudging him awake with an elbow. "Hey, Yuri," he said, his voice low but conspiratorial. "What's up with Jonas and Zane? Looks like someone had a bonding moment last night."

Yuri groaned, turning his head to squint at them. A slow grin spread across his face as he caught on. "Oh, you're right. Look at that. Sitting awfully close, aren't they?"

Jean nodded, his grin widening. "Very close. Suspiciously close. Almost like—"

"Like something happened?" Yuri finished, his tone dripping with mock intrigue.

Jonas, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, glanced over at them. "What are you two whispering about?" he asked, his voice suspicious.

"Oh, nothing," Jean said innocently, waving a hand. "Just... noticing things. Like how well you and my sister worked together yesterday. Pretty impressive, really."

Jonas blinked, his brow furrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Yuri leaned forward, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Oh, come on, Jonas. Don't be coy. We all saw it. You and Zane, back-to-back, fighting off wave after wave of Edwards soldiers like you were in perfect sync."

"Yeah," Jean chimed in, his tone exaggeratedly thoughtful. "You know, there was this... chemistry. Like you were in each other's heads or something."

Zane finally looked up from her blade, her expression calm but her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "What are you two going on about now?"

"Nothing!" Jean said quickly, raising his hands in mock innocence. "Just... admiring teamwork. That's all."

Jonas's ears turned slightly red as he crossed his arms, leaning back against the headboard. "You're both insane. We were just doing what we had to. Nothing more."

"Sure, sure," Yuri said, nodding sagely. "Just doing what you had to. Like saving each other from certain death. Several times."

"And that moment," Jean added, his grin practically splitting his face. "When you used your magic to cover Zane while she went in for the kill? That was something special. Almost... poetic."

Jonas groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You're making stuff up now. That didn't happen."

"Oh, but it did," Yuri said, his tone overly dramatic. "The way you looked at her after it was over, like—"