From void profound 5

Eva jogged along the path with Goldie bounding happily beside her, his tongue lolling out as he kept pace. Her earbuds blasted music, and she lost herself in the rhythm of her run.

She slowed to a stop when she spotted an ice cream truck parked ahead, its service window open. The sight made her sigh in frustration. He's back.

Eva walked toward the truck, Goldie obediently sitting at the edge of the sidewalk. Circling around to the back door, she pushed it open without knocking.

Inside, Arram sat cross-legged in a corner, a tub of ice cream in his hands. He froze mid-scoop, looking like a child caught sneaking cookies from the jar. Slowly, he lifted his head, his blue eyes meeting Eva's.

"Arram," Eva said, her tone sharp.

"Eva!" Arram greeted, flashing a sheepish smile. "Want a bite?" He held the tub toward her like a peace offering.

Eva rolled her eyes and plopped into a nearby chair, crossing her arms. "Why are you here again?"

"To sell ice cream?" Arram replied innocently, his voice full of mock sincerity.

"By eating it all and giving the rest away?" Eva shot back, arching an eyebrow.

Arram chuckled, his smile widening as he set the tub aside. "How else am I supposed to see you?"

"I don't want to see you," Eva countered without hesitation.

Arram rested his chin on his hand, tilting his head as he gazed at her with that same infuriatingly charming smile. "You say that, but here you are."

Arram smiled softly, his gaze drifting away. "Have you seen the news?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Eva got up and walked to the small fridge inside the truck. Pulling out a tub of ice cream, she pried it open with practiced ease. "What news?" she asked, taking a spoonful without looking at him.

"The Atlantian Legacy has conquered another country," Arram said, his tone casual.

Eva froze mid-scoop. Her grip on the tub tightened slightly. "Is that so?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with tension.

"Yes, but…" Arram continued, leaning back against the wall, "there were little to no casualties."

Eva set the ice cream down, her movements slow and deliberate. Without a word, she walked to the door.

Before she could open it, Arram's arms encircled her waist, holding her in place. "Don't leave," he said softly. "I don't get to see you often."

Eva's eyes hardened. She grabbed his hands and peeled them off her, her movements firm but controlled. "I told you not to touch me," she said coldly, pushing him back with a sharp shove.

"Sorry," Arram said, his smile faltering for the first time. "I can't help it."

Eva didn't reply. She opened the door and stepped out of the truck, Goldie trailing close behind her.

As Eva walked away, Arram leaned against the doorframe, his gaze settling on Goldie. A sly smile crept back onto his face.

"Hmm… I thought that chocolate ice cream would've done the trick by now," he muttered to himself, his voice low and amused.

***

Eva returned home, her expression unreadable. She fed Goldie, who wagged her tail happily, and then headed to the couch. Sinking into its worn cushions, Eva pulled out her phone.

There was no new video from justalex. She frowned briefly but then noticed his following had grown from one to ten. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Good for you," she murmured before switching apps.

Opening her browser, Eva typed in Atlantian Legacy news. The search results confirmed what Arram had said—they had indeed seized control of another country. Her fingers hovered over the screen as she skimmed through the details. Little to no casualties… The words felt hollow to her, but she sighed and put the phone down on the table.

Without another thought, Eva stood and undressed, leaving her clothes in a small pile by the bathroom door. She stepped into the bathroom, the cool tiles grounding her thoughts as she turned on the water.

The soft light illuminated her back, revealing intricate, crack-like lines that ran from the center of her spine to her shoulders and mid-thigh. The markings seemed almost alive, faintly glowing as steam filled the room.

***

Peter bolted out of his final class, determination written all over his face.

"Want to go to the library and work on the assignment together?" Alan called out behind him, hurrying to keep up.

"Are you volunteering to help me?" Peter asked, barely slowing down.

"Hell no."

"You have your answer, then," Peter quipped, not even glancing back as he picked up his pace. Alan shook his head in mock exasperation and veered off toward the library.

Peter made a beeline for Eva's house, bursting in without knocking. Inside, Eva was sprawled lazily on the couch, Goldie draped across her like a warm, furry blanket. Eva's fingers moved rhythmically, stroking Goldie's golden coat as both lay in perfect harmony.

"There she is—my most favorite person in the world!" Peter announced, grinning from ear to ear.

Eva's eyebrows arched in genuine surprise, and even Goldie's head lifted, her ears perking up. "Are you okay?" Eva asked cautiously.

"I'm fantastic because I'm here with you, my absolute favorite friend who'd do anything for me, right?" Peter said, his grin never faltering.

Eva tilted her head, still suspicious. "I guess so?"

"Great!" Peter exclaimed, dropping his bag onto the floor with a thud and pulling out his tablet. He quickly tapped the screen and pulled up a file, then held it out to Eva like an offering.

"I need a detailed report on this," he said, "and a PowerPoint. Both due tomorrow."

Eva blinked, staring at the tablet and then at Peter. "You're joking," she said flatly.

Peter clasped his hands together, the picture of mock sincerity. "If you don't help me, I'll have to ask Jane. And you know what? She'll be my new most favorite person in the world."

Eva's lips twitched as though resisting a smirk, and she finally shook her head. She pushed Goldie gently off her lap and stood, heading to grab her laptop. "I'm not doing this because I want to compete with Jane," she muttered, setting up her workstation.

Peter flopped onto the couch, his grin now impossibly wide. "Of course not," he said, settling in to watch as Eva's fingers flew across the keyboard.

Within minutes, the soft clack of keys filled the room, a melody of productivity. Peter leaned back, completely at ease. He knew he'd have his report and PowerPoint ready in record time—thanks to his favorite person in the world.

***

"Yes, yes, this is good. This is really good," Peter said, his voice brimming with excitement.

Jane paused in the doorway, raising an eyebrow. Peter was hunched over Eva's laptop, engrossed in whatever he was reading. "What's good?" Jane asked.

Peter jolted upright, slamming the laptop shut with the speed of someone caught red-handed. "Jane! When did you get here?" he stammered.

"Just now. What are you looking at?" she asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Nothing," Peter said quickly, his tone not at all convincing.

Eva emerged from the kitchen holding a glass of water. She glanced at Jane, then at Peter, but didn't seem surprised by the tension. "I'll send it to you later," Eva said casually as she took the laptop from Peter's grasp.

"Thank you," Peter replied, his tone laced with gratitude.

Jane's frown deepened as she watched the exchange. She crossed her arms. "So, what's up?"

Peter shifted uncomfortably. "You... Never mind."

Jane's eyes flicked back to Eva. "Eva, charge up my gadgets," she said, tossing her duffle bag toward her.

Eva caught it mid-air with a scowl. She unzipped it and began unloading various devices, setting them on the table. "You could ask nicely," Eva muttered under her breath.

As Eva transmitted energy into the gadgets, Jane took out a small medical kit. "I'll need blood samples from you," she said, her tone businesslike.

"Again?" Peter groaned.

"Yes," Jane replied, pulling out a syringe and a few blood tubes. "I think you should be able to channel more power from Eva, but I'll need to check the results to confirm."

Peter's eyes widened at the sight of the oversized syringe. "Can't you get smaller ones?"

"Unless you want me to prick you multiple times," Jane said, smirking.

Peter sighed in defeat and extended his arm. Jane smiled, amused by his hesitation, and expertly drew the blood. The full syringe filled three tubes with ease.

Jane then turned to Eva, who stared back at her with a matching frown. Neither broke eye contact as Jane handed the blood tubes to Eva.

Eva sighed and placed her hand over the tubes. With a faint glow, her energy seeped into the blood, illuminating the vials with a faint, otherworldly hue.

"All done," Eva said, handing them back.

Jane inspected the tubes, her frown softening. "Good. I'll analyze these tonight," she said, packing up her equipment.

"I checked your step counter, Eva. You were short by twenty thousand," Jane said as she carefully placed the tubes into her bag.

"I got distracted," Eva replied flatly.

"Double the steps when we return," Jane ordered.

"When we return? Where are we going?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We've got a high-paying mission offer, and I think we should take it," Jane said, her tone resolute.

"No," Peter and Eva said in unison.

"What?" Jane asked, incredulous.

"I have a presentation tomorrow. Plus, we just got back from a mission yesterday. My family will get suspicious if I disappear again," Peter explained.

"And I'm tired," Eva added without hesitation.

"Okay, we'll go the day after tomorrow," Jane said, as if that solved everything.

"Still no," Eva replied.

"I wasn't asking you," Jane said, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't care—still no," Eva shot back, her glare intensifying.

"Jane," Peter interjected, "Eva needs to recharge. And I need to attend class and spend time with my family."

"But it's a very high-paying mission," Jane argued, her voice carrying a note of urgency.

Peter hesitated, tempted. "How much are we talking about?" he asked.

Eva promptly smacked the back of his head.

"Right, sorry. Still no," Peter corrected himself, rubbing the spot where Eva had hit him.

Jane turned her glare to Eva, and Eva met it with equal intensity.

Peter's eye twitched as he watched the silent standoff between the two. "Would you two stop that?" he said, exasperated.

"Tch," Jane muttered, looking away first.

Eva followed suit, rolling her eyes as she turned her attention back to the gadgets.

"I'll be heading out soon. I could walk you home if you'd like," Peter offered, a hopeful smile on his face.

"No need. I'm going to work on the samples," Jane replied, her tone casual and distracted.

Eva glanced between the two of them and resisted the urge to facepalm. "Hopeless," she muttered under her breath.

It was painfully obvious to Eva that Peter wanted an excuse to spend more time with Jane. It was equally obvious that Jane had no clue. Eva wasn't about to spell it out for her, either.

"Oh," Peter said, his disappointment barely hidden. "Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes," Jane replied matter-of-factly, already heading downstairs to her lab, her focus entirely on her work.

Eva watched her disappear, then turned back to Peter. "Best of luck with your presentation," she said.

Peter nodded, his smile returning slightly. "Thanks," he said before leaving the house.

Once the door closed, Eva picked up a ball. Goldie's ears perked up instantly, and the golden retriever jumped to its feet, barking excitedly.

"Let's go play," Eva said with a small smile.

Goldie dashed out of the house, tail wagging furiously, with Eva following at a leisurely pace.