The drive home from the Sirocco Institute of Medical Sciences felt significantly longer than usual, even though the roads were clear and the late afternoon sun cast long, golden shadows across the streets of the city. Ren drove with one hand steady on the wheel, while his other hand rested comfortably on Fang's knee, a grounding point in the quiet of the car.
Fang stared out the window, his expression calm but distant, as if a part of him was already scanning the horizon for unseen threats. He could feel the residual vibrations of the day clinging to his skin like static electricity. Every time they passed a street lamp or a building, he felt a flicker of unease that he could not quite rationalise.
