Jun Kai.
His presence was impossible to miss.
Even among the noise of the celebration, the moment he stepped into the courtyard several nearby conversations softened instinctively. Not because anyone had been ordered to be quiet, but because Jun Kai carried himself with the kind of authority that made people notice.
Lantern light brushed across the dark lines of his formal robes as he walked between the banquet tables. His posture remained straight, shoulders relaxed but steady, the quiet confidence of someone used to command.
Several younger participants straightened automatically when he passed.
Others lowered their voices.
By the time he reached Group 417's table, the chatter around them had faded almost completely.
Jun Kai stopped beside Jin Yue.
For a brief moment he simply looked at him.
Then he said,
"Come with me."
Jin Yue looked up from his bowl.
His expression did not change.
"Where?"
Jun Kai answered as if the destination were obvious.
"Inside."
