After a short while, all five were settled at the table. The atmosphere should have been warm—there was food on the table, and the scent of roasted meat and seasoned food filled the air—but the silence between them was suffocating.
Aramith picked up his spoon but didn't take a bite. He could feel the weight of Jade's glare boring into him from across the table. Lydan, her brother, sat beside her, his expression unreadable, but there was an unmistakable tension in his posture. A protective instinct that had him ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
"So... how many beasts did you get?" Lynnor suddenly asked Lydan out of the blue.
Lydan, the ever-calm one answered without a change in his expression "It was alright. I grabbed a few."
"I bet you got a lot. Can I have some?"
"No, they're for jade."
"Then I won't bathe you."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..." [Suddenly the crickets outside were quiet]
