Joy, and a lying Drae?

Mira now switched over to Drae, stepping closer with her arms still folded across her chest, her eyes flicked from Rhydan's flustered face to Drae's calm one.

"How have you been? We haven't seen each other in a while," she asked, her tone casual but with that familiar warmth Drae had always known.

Drae shrugs lightly. "I've been alright. Same old."

Before Mira can say more, Yven leans in from the side, grinning wide. "Oh, don't let him fool you, Mira. We've been working our asses off.

Mira narrowed her eyes at Yven, pointing a slender, perfectly manicured finger at him. "Correction. Only Drae has been working hard. You? You've probably been sleeping on a bench somewhere."

Yven clutched his chest dramatically. "Mira! That's a vicious lie! I'm a changed man, a whole new chapter!"

Drae burst into laughter at Yven's antics, his shoulders shaking, while beside them, the silver-haired girl watched silently. She remained cold and aloof, her face unreadable, but if someone looked close enough, there was a slight softness to her eyes whenever they landed on them.

Meanwhile, Rhydan, finally done with his one-man performance trying to calm his girlfriend,finally turned around and pointed accusingly at Drae and Yven. "You two jerks! You better clear this up! You heard what she said she thinks I've got a side girl! Tell her it's not true!"

Yven lifted his hands in surrender. "Look, we were talking about a girl but," He shoots Drae a sly glance, as if about to reveal something. "We were talking about her love for D..."

Drae jolts forward, elbowing Yven so fast he nearly stumbles. "Hologram! We were talking about a hologram. New tech design we're working on, the AI we will make will be a woman's face and voice too" Drae blurted out, his voice a little too high.

Rhydan's eyes dart between them, confused, but before he could question more, his girlfriend's sharp gaze softens instantly. "Oh! A hologram? See, that's why Drae is such a good guy. He doesn't lie."

Drae almost choked. "I..I...I'm not that good," he muttered, his voice muffled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Rhydan's jaw dropped . "You believed him? Just like that? I've been explaining the whole time!"

She crossed her arms again, nose slightly lifted. "Because Drae wouldn'lie. You, on the other hand, always look suspicious."

Rhydan looked so defeated he might collapse, but before he could complain more, he turned to the silver-haired girl. With a long exhale, he waves lightly. "Hi, Ayla."

The silver-haired girl, Ayla, just gives him a small nod. Cold. Distant. But undeniably beautiful, with that icy aura that made her stand out like a blade of moonlight. No one could believe that the two with such opposing personalities were actually cousins, one goofy and playful without too many cares in the world, the other Icy, poise and more composed.

Yven and Rhydan then turn to each other, both shooting Drae a conspiratorial thumbs-up. Drae groans inwardly, letting out a small, almost bitter smile, one that only hinted at the chaos he felt inside.

With their chaotic greetings over, the group stepped onto a series of hovering disk platforms. The platforms glowed softly under their feet before gently rising, carrying them toward the cafeteria level above.

They moved smoothly through the air, neon-lit edges of the city coming into view behind them as they ascend.