Zane clapped his hands together like a general addressing soldiers.
"Alright, my lovely minions. We have exactly one hour of freedom. Do what you want—eat, shop, steal a chicken, I don't care. But once the timer's up, we meet back here. Same spot, no excuses."
He jabbed a finger toward Asher.
"Well… except you. You've got forty-five minutes."
Asher frowned. "What? Why?"
"Because I explicitly told you not to flirt, and you did anyway." Zane wagged his finger like a disappointed teacher. "Also, you're the designated driver—sorry, portal maker. You have to be back early to get us home."
Asher groaned. "Unfair."
Before he could say more, Luna tilted her head, her voice soft.
"…Wait. How do you know he flirted with me?"
The group turned to Zane. He didn't answer. He just gave a smug smile that screamed I know everything and I love it.
Asher sighed dramatically, stepping in to explain. "Alright, pop quiz. What's one thing each of us here has… that Zane doesn't?"
Luna blinked. Celeste frowned. Even Mira tilted her head.
They glanced at themselves, then at Zane. No answer.
Asher held his hands up like he was about to reveal the punchline to a bad joke.
"A shadow."
The silence was instant.
Luna's eyes widened as she glanced at the ground. Celeste's brows furrowed, her usual composure cracking. Mira already knew—but the way she twirled her dagger faster showed she didn't like others catching on.
Zane just sighed, pulling his blindfold down again as if to shut the whole world out.
"Congratulations. You all just caught up to page one of the book that is my life. No autographs."
He turned and started walking toward the nearest food stall, hands in his pockets, voice casual but edged.
"Now hurry up. We're wasting precious boredom-killing minutes."