Drawn Blades

Elara froze mid-sentence as she caught sight of Cedric approaching from the corner of her eye. His strides were deliberate, his expression a careful mask of neutrality that did little to hide the simmering tension in his posture. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, to diffuse what she sensed coming, but before she could, Cedric was already at their side. 

He stopped just in front of Luca, his imposing frame casting a shadow that felt heavier than it should have. Luca, of course, didn't budge. He didn't even straighten from his relaxed stance against the railing. Instead, he looked up at Cedric with the same infuriating smirk, his sharp eyes brimming with unspoken amusement. 

"Cedric—" Elara began, but Cedric cut her off with a low, steady voice. 

"Luca, is it?" Cedric said, his tone polite but firm, his gaze unwavering as it bore into the other man.