"Stay away from him. He doesn't need distractions like you," Sabine said, stepping slightly forward, her body angling in front of Vandal as if to shield him. Yazmeen's brows lifted in mild surprise, but it quickly melted into amusement as she tapped her chin lightly and tilted her head, as though she had just realized something profound. "Oh... I see now. No wonder you're not a distraction to him." The words landed harder than they sounded, and Sabine's breath quickened as her fingers curled tightly at her sides until her knuckles lost their color. A faint tremor ran through her arms, and though she had been angry before, it had never felt like this, never like something tightening around her chest. "I think that's enough," Vandal said, his voice cutting through the tension before it could snap. Yazmeen turned to him, the playful glint still lingering in her eyes as he met her gaze steadily. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to decline." For a brief moment, something

"Your mother didn't even come to see you off," Vandal whispered into Sabine's ear, his voice low enough that it was swallowed by the noise around them. His gaze drifted briefly across the crowd, as if expecting Elder Clara to appear at the last moment, but there was no sign of her. The absence lingered more than it should have. Sabine did not bother to look. She adjusted the strap on her wrist and gave a small shrug. "I already knew she wouldn't come. I don't care if she does." "Hmph." Yazmeen's lips pressed into a thin line as she noticed Vandal and Sabine still talking. Her eyes lingered a moment longer than necessary before she turned away. "You really need to stop paying attention to that boy, Yazz," Jaclynn said, already tugging at her arm. "Let's go." Without waiting for a response, she pulled Yazmeen along, and the two of them stepped into the portal together. One by one, the others followed, their figures swallowed by the white glow. When it was Vandal's turn, the li