The Raid team

Chapter 24: The Raid team

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It was the Quiet That Followed after a sudden moment of 'wild' experience.

The scent of silver wine lingered in the air, mixing with the faint traces of steam from the still-warm food on their plates.

Lucian didn't know how long they had been sitting there—minutes, maybe more—but the silence between them was thick and Not uncomfortable But surely different.

Reze sat across from him, her posture more reserved than usual, though her golden eyes still held that ever-present glimmer of amusement.

She wasn't saying anything Which wasn't weird after what they did.

But Reze always had something to say, always had some snide remark to throw his way. And Now she was just poking at her food, her smirk not quite as sharp as usual.

Lucian, on the other hand, was doing his best to focus on his meal bur It wasn't working.

His mind kept flickering back to the moment before they had returned to their seats—the heat of her breath, the way her fingers had brushed against his neck, the warmth of her skin—

He cleared his throat, dragging his focus back to his plate.

'Just eat and act normal. This is fine and Everything else is fine.'

Reze suddenly let out a quiet chuckle. Lucian stiffened slightly, his fork pausing mid-air.

"...What?"

Reze took a slow sip of her wine, setting the glass down with deliberate ease before tilting her head at him.

"You tell me," she mused. "You've been staring at your plate for the last ten minutes like it personally wronged you."

Lucian exhaled, shaking his head. "I was thinking....."

Reze smirked. "That explains the burning smell."

Lucian shot her a flat look. Reze laughed, finally taking a bite of her food.

For a moment, things felt almost normal again.

---

The rest of the meal passed with little to no conversation, neither of them directly addressing what had happened.

Lucian was grateful for that, He wasn't sure how to bring it up anytime soon, Or if he even wanted to bring it up.

'What was that? I did it in amoment of impulse.....'

Whatever it was, it had left his mind scattered.

And judging by the way Reze kept sneaking glances at him, she wasn't entirely unaffected either.

When the last of their food was gone, Lucian set his fork down and leaned back slightly.

"Alright," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I should pay before you decide to order something else."

Reze gave a straight face look, brushing her short black hair behind her ear. "Damn. I ain't gonna dry your wallet bro-."

Lucian huffed a small laugh and pulled out the money the Order had given him. The waiter came by, took the payment, and left them alone again.

Lucian resisted the urge to tap his fingers against the table, and Reze took another sip of wine before setting her glass down with a quiet clink.

Then, with a slow stretch, she stood up.

"Come on, then," she said. "Let's get out of here before you start overthinking things."

Lucian blinked. "...I wasn't overthinking."

Reze gave him a knowing look.

"You totally were."

Lucian clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he stood.

'This woman is insufferable.'

---

The night outside was thick with mist, the fog curling around the street lamps in silvery tendrils.

A few people still lingered in the streets, their figures hazy in the distant glow.

Lucian and Reze stepped toward the waiting carriage, the driver barely sparing them a glance as they climbed inside.

And this time—Reze didn't sit across from him.

She slid into the same seat, settling beside him with a lazy ease that made Lucian's brain short-circuit for a moment.

He hesitated.

Then, realizing that standing awkwardly in the middle of the carriage like an idiot wasn't helping, he dropped into the seat beside her.

The space between them was small. Much smaller than he realised.

'Okay. I should focus on the raid.' lcuian finally decided to divert his mind.

Reze stretched her legs out slightly, sighing as she leaned back against the cushioned seat. The dim lantern light flickered over her face, casting faint shadows over the delicate angles of her features.

Lucian tried not to stare.

But then she shifted slightly, adjusting her coat, and the motion pulled his gaze downward—just for a second.

Lucian knew very well now, how her downwards felt. Reze tilted her head slightly, her short black hair falling softly against her cheek.

A slow smile formed on her lips.

"Something interesting, Lucian?" she murmured, her voice laced with amusement.

Lucian snapped his gaze to the side, clearing his throat.

"I was just—" He searched for an excuse before settling on the most neutral thing he could think of. "Your coat looks different from the standard ones."

Reze's golden eyes flickered with interest, but she let him change the subject.

"Of course," she said, tilting her head. "You think I'd settle for the basic version? Please. A girl has to have standards."

Lucian let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "You're too unbelievable."

Reze nudged him lightly with her foot. "And why are you still acting all shy. Where'd that overconfidence man from earlier go?"

Lucian's cheeks burned from shame, and he made a sound in his throat, taking a slow, deliberate sigh again as if that would help him ignore the heat creeping up his neck.

The silence stretched for a moment.

Then, to his absolute dismay, Reze shifted closer.

Their knees brushed.

Lucian tried not to react, keeping his eyes focused on the passing silver-lit city outside.

Reze, as always, seemed entirely too entertained.

She tilted her head slightly, brushing a few strands of black hair behind her ear.

"So," she mused, "are you going to tell me why you were holed up in your apartment for the entire day, or am I going to have to pry it out of you by coming over?"

Lucian groaned.

"I needed rest you know? And i was just roaming around the streets, ugh" he muttered.

Reze smirked. "That sounds like a very you problem, Mr Veyne."

Lucian closed his eyes . "I should've just stayed home."

Reze chuckled, nudging him again. "Too late for that hehe."

Lucian let out a small huff of laughter, shaking his head.

As the carriage rolled forward into the thick mist, he glanced out the window, watching the silver-lit streets blur by.

Somewhere, in the depths of his mind, the name Divalo still lingered.

And despite his exhaustion—He knew he have to spend the night in outpost .

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The carriage ride back was slower than Lucian expected, or maybe it only felt that way because his thoughts were still tangled from earlier.

Reze sat beside him, resting her elbow lazily against the edge of the window, golden eyes flickering with unreadable amusement as she watched the misty city pass by.

Lucian, on the other hand, was doing his damned best to focus on anything other than the occasional brush of her leg against his.

' what the hell is she doing! You want to make a hole in my leg?'

The thought did absolutely nothing to stop the quiet heat simmering at the edges of his mind.

By the time the carriage finally rolled to a stop in front of the outpost, Lucian felt more relieved than he cared to admit.

The cool night air hit him like a splash of cold water as he stepped out, taking a slow, deep breath before adjusting his cloak.

Reze followed behind, rolling her shoulders with a stretch before giving him a lazy smirk.

"Well, that was quite the fun~" she mused.

Lucian responded in a low voice. "At least someone enjoyed it."

Reze chuckled, stepping past him toward the outpost entrance, but not without giving a look "dont act like you didn't."

Lucian hesitated and stoped the urge to say out loud 'it was you who made me do it'.

After half a second of wait he started following her inside.

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The first thing he noticed as they stepped through the outpost gates was the scent of cigar smoke. At the front, standing just outside the entrance, was Tigen.

The head of the outpost was leaning against one of the thick stone pillars, a lit silver cigar resting between his fingers, the faint embers glowing in the misty air.

Beside him, arms crossed and expression unreadable, stood Eleanor. The moment Lucian and Reze entered, Eleanor's sharp brown eyes flickered toward them.

"You're back earlier than I thought," she remarked.

Lucian opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Tigen took a slow puff of his cigar, exhaling the smoke in a lazy, practiced motion before speaking—

"Was it a date?"

Lucian almost choked on the words he was about to speak, seeing this Reze snorted.

Lucian snapped his gaze to Tigen, feeling his entire body stiffen. "What?! No—of course not! I just—" He gestured vaguely toward Reze, struggling for words. "I just treated her to dinner. Otherwise, she'd eat my brain."

Tigen barked out a deep, hearty laugh, shaking his head.

"That so?" He glanced at Reze, who looked far too amused by the entire situation. "Did he at least make it worth your time?"

Reze tapped her chin in mock thoughtfulness. "Mm. It was quite a bit of fun."

Lucian looked at her with a glare.

Eleanor, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the two of them.

She didn't say anything, but something in her gaze told Lucian that she wasn't buying his excuse entirely. Still, she let it drop, instead shifting her focus back to Tigen.

Lucian exhaled, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

That was, until A sudden familiar voice echoed from behind.

"Well, well. The kid's still alive, huh?"

' wait that voice?'

He turned, his eyes widening slightly as he saw a familiar old man walking toward them.

Ronan.

Ronan still looked the same.

The old man's grizzled beard was slightly longer, streaked with patches of silver and white. His scarred face held the same rough amusement, but there was something sharper in his eyes tonight.

Lucian barely had time to register his presence before he noticed— Ronan wasn't alone.

Three figures followed behind him.One girl. Two boys.

All of them carried a presence, 'they are strong.'

Lucian's gaze shifted between them, taking in the unfamiliar faces.

The first was a young man, possibly around Lucian's age, with short blue hair and piercing blue eyes. His build was lean but muscular, his posture relaxed yet calculated, as if every move he made was measured.

His cloak was different from the standard outpost gear, lined with dark silver embroidery, and at his hip rested a short silver blade, the hilt wrapped in black cloth.

Next to him stood the second figure—a taller, broader man with ashen gray hair tied into a loose knot. His eyes were a dull, stormy green, his expression unreadable, and the heavy gauntlets covering his hands hinted at his preferred method of combat.

And then there was the girl.

She was slightly shorter than the other two, her raven-black hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her golden ocean-blue eyes were sharp, almost feline, and the way she carried herself radiated confidence.

Unlike the others, she wasn't wearing a full cloak—only a sleeveless silver coat, revealing toned arms marked with faint silver tattoos.

She caught Lucian staring and arched a brow, smirking.

"Huh. Thought you'd be taller."

Lucian blinked. "...Excuse me?"

Ronan chuckled, stepping forward. "Looks like we arent late, I definitely thought wed be late for the party."

Lucian felt his stomach tighten slightly, as he could guess who those people were.

"So these are the people going outside the Sanctroum…?"

The blue-haired young man gave a small nod, his voice calm. "Veyne, right? Heard about you."

Lucian frowned slightly. "Ha?From who?"

The man said slightly. "From People talk."

Lucian resisted the urge to sigh. 'Fantastic.'

The taller man with the gray hair said nothing, merely watching with an almost eerie silence.

And the girl—She tilted her head, her ocean-blue eyes still assessing him.

"Not bad," she finally said. "You will be a intresting person."

Lucian felt an odd mix of intrigue and irritation.

"Thanks i guess?" he said evenly.

Ronan clapped a hand on Lucian's shoulder, nearly knocking the air out of him.

"Don't worry too much, kid. We leave soon." His grin widened slightly. "So before we leave.....how about a spar?"

Lucian looked bewildered.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

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End of chapter 24