She rolled her eyes but looked pleased. Standing up, she brushed off her knees and moved on to check Raphael, who was still pretending he didn't need help despite the blood dripping down his face and staining his collar.
Celeste took Emi's place in front of me, her eyes critical as she assessed my condition. She tilted her head slightly, studying me like I was a particularly interesting puzzle. "What's the next event?"
"No idea. They keep it secret until right before to prevent over-planning."
"Smart," she nodded, her posture still perfect, her voice measured. "It favors adaptability over rigid strategy."
"Which means it favors me," I said, stretching experimentally. My ribs protested, but it was manageable. The pain was just noise at this point.
"Your ego is showing again," Natalia muttered, her arms crossed.
"Always," I agreed, flashing her a quick grin that made her jaw tighten.
