The plane had taken off smoothly, quickly leaving Los Angeles behind.
Inside a private cabin, the atmosphere gradually quieted down compared to before.
Owen and Lyra only lightly argued with each other over something on a phone, while Iris just quietly listened to music while glancing out the window.
Meanwhile, Theo simply sat there silently for a while.
His gaze slowly lowered, falling on the green necklace resting against his chest.
Memories of Alia flashed through his mind again.
'Right,' he thought, slowly grabbing it between his fingers. 'Alia...'
The gemstone felt cold, yet also warm at the same time, with mana swirling around inside.
After a few more seconds of silence, he finally stood up from his seat.
''I'll be back in a bit,'' he said calmly.
Neither Owen nor Lyra paid much attention, while Iris only glanced at him briefly before nodding once.
Theo quietly walked deeper into the plane, eventually reaching a separate area near the back.
