Cruzer chuckled, the memory washing over him like the soft pull of the river current below. "I remember waking up with crumbs on my chest and Elara threatening to kick me off the roof if I passed out again."
"You were being dramatic," Elara said, grinning at him over her shoulder. "You looked like you were trying to ascend right there in the café."
Jean smirked. "I maintain sugar is the best emergency fix when healing magic doesn't cut it. Besides, you needed the calories. Wraiths drain more than blood."
Cruzer leaned on the railing beside Elara, eyes tracing the curve of the river beneath them. The water sparkled, touched by the lanterns overhead and the fading sun. There was a strange beauty in this moment—fleeting, quiet, but real. "That was the first time I thought we could actually survive this whole crazy path."
Elara's tone softened. "We've come a long way since then."
