Hyran leaned in close, his voice dropping to a bitter whisper.
"We're wasting time, Zarius. Arcadia gave us nothing and Yulia is getting worse... We can't keep pretending this isn't happening. We have to tell them."
Zarius's usual sarcasm evaporated. His jaw tightened, eyes flashing with alarm.
"Have you lost your mind?" he hissed back."Telling them now? Are you drunk already?"
His gaze flicked past Hyran—to Moriana, barely managing to stay upright, Gord steadying her weight.
"Can't you see she can barely stand?" Zarius continued, voice low but sharp."And Yulia… damn it. She's just forcing herself to hold together for our sake."
Zarius dragged a hand down his face, fingers pressing hard against his forehead.
Hyran leaned closer, lips pulling back just enough to show his fangs.
"So what? You're afraid of the truth?" he snarled."Did you forget who she is? Moriana is a fucking Handler. Her power might be the only thing that can fix this."
Zarius looked up slowly, meeting Hyran's stare head-on.
"And did you forget she's still just a girl?" he shot back."Like any other."
Hyran's voice sharpened, cutting.
"What the hell is wrong with you, half-breed?"
He straightened, anger rolling off him in waves.
"Are you a warrior? A Handler? A fighter?""Or just a coward who only knows how to run his mouth?"
"I won't get into such argument." Zarius said flatly. He lowered his head, shadow swallowing his features.
Hyran stood up, towering over him, leaning in until their shadows merged. From across the alley, Gord noticed the tension—but stayed where he was, focused on keeping Moriana on her feet.
Hyran didn't back off.
"Get this through your head, Zarius. She's a Handler.""And Yulia isn't just a stupid girl—she knows more than either of us."
His voice dropped, raw and furious.
"They're not helpless. They're not crying bitches... Why the hell are we carrying this alone?"
Zarius snapped to his feet.
"And what if I do tell them?!" he roared back."What changes?! Nothing!"
His fist slammed into the stone wall, the sound sharp enough to draw glances.
"Do you really want me to look Moriana in the eye and tell her—""—that her power is what's killing Yulia?"
Silence hit like a blade.
Then—
A calm, soft voice cut straight through it.
"How about you two stop whining for a moment…"
Zarius and Hyran froze.
They turned together.
Yulia stood there, pale and steady, green eyes cold as ice. She lifted a lock of her short hair slowly, gaze flicking between them.
"You're drawing everyone's attention," she said quietly."And I'm not in the mood to babysit."