Rian climbed into the back of a black limousine, following the old man and his granddaughter.
The car was massive inside, with enough room for several people to sit comfortably. The seats were black leather, soft to the touch, and Rian couldn't help running his hands over them as he settled in.
'Wow, the seating space here is proper roomy,' Rian thought, surprised at how comfy it felt compared to the hard bench of the carriage.
Lena flopped into a seat with a tired sigh, and the grandfather shut the door behind them with a firm thud.
Suddenly, a blast of cold air filled the space. Rian froze for a second, feeling the chill hit his face and prickle the skin under his grey rag.
'So cool… how do they do this?'
Rian glanced around, baffled, trying to figure out where the icy breeze was coming from. Lena noticed and let out a snicker, crossing her arms as she watched him with a raised eyebrow.
"What's up?" she said, her tone teasing as she leaned back in the seat. "First time in a car with air conditioning, is it?"
Rian blinked, processing the word.
"Car… so that's what these things are called."
"Well, obviously, innit?"
The grandfather, who'd sat across from Rian, frowned and shot Lena a stern look.
"Lena…" he growled, adjusting his brown jacket with a quick tug.
Lena huffed and turned her head to the window, pretending the scenery outside was more interesting.
'Seriously, Grandad… why the bloody hell did you tell him to get in? I don't get you…' Lena thought to herself.
The old man sighed, then turned to Rian with a softer smile.
"Thanks for agreeing to come with us, lad. Bit of a spur-of-the-moment invite, I know."
Rian shrugged, sinking a bit deeper into the seat.
"No bother," he said, his voice relaxed. "This is comfier than the carriage, at least."
"Glad you think so," Marcus said, scratching his beard with a finger. "By the way, I'm Marcus Blaze. And this here…"
Marcus gestured towards Lena, who was still scowling out the window. "…is my granddaughter, Lena Blaze."
Lena turned her head just enough to glance at him sideways.
"Hi," she muttered, her tone flat, like it annoyed her to even say it. Then she turned back, resting her chin on her hand.
Rian read the room and figured it was his turn.
"I'm Rian," he said simply, scratching the back of his neck.
Marcus tilted his head, curious.
"Just Rian?" he asked, his tone polite but with a hint of intrigue. "No surname?"
Rian shook his head, glancing at the floor for a second.
"Nope, don't have one."
Marcus stroked his beard, thinking.
"Hmm," he murmured, leaning forward slightly. "By any chance, do you come from some temple, Rian?"
Rian looked up, caught off guard by the question.
Had he seen right through him?
"Yeah… sort of. But I'm not there anymore."
"And you've got powers?" Marcus asked, his tone light but straight to the point.
Rian swallowed, a knot forming in his throat.
His hands tightened on his knees, and for a moment, he wondered if he should lie.
But… why bother?
After the clan, and how they'd kicked him out…
What was the point of hiding his powers anymore?
"Kind of," Rian said, scratching his cheek again. "But it's tricky to use."
Lena, who'd been ignoring the chat up to now, whipped her head around. Her red eyes locked onto Rian, and one eyebrow shot up with interest.
"Tricky?" she echoed, her tone more curious than mocking this time. She straightened in her seat, propping an elbow on the window. "How tricky?"
Rian glanced at her sideways, mulling over what to say.
"Hold on," Marcus cut in, though he sounded intrigued too. He turned back to Rian. "So, you're on your way to some academy, then?"
"Yeah," Rian replied straight away. "They signed me up to go there. Don't know much else."
"Well, what a coincidence," Marcus exclaimed, slapping his knee with his palm. "Lena's in a similar boat. Aren't you, lass?"
Marcus gestured at her, and Lena flushed red, burying her face in her hands.
"Grandad…" she groaned, her voice muffled by her palms. "You didn't have to put it like that."
Lena dropped her hands and shot him a death glare, but Marcus just laughed harder, clearly enjoying her embarrassment.
Rian looked between the two of them, a bit thrown by the shift in mood.
Lena crossed her arms again, still pink, and mumbled something under her breath that didn't quite carry.
She opened her mouth to snap something at her grandad, but Marcus beat her to it, leaning towards Rian with a more serious look.
"Listen, Rian," he said, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "How about giving Lena your phone number? You two could be mates, since you're both starting school soon. Sound like a good idea?"
"What are you on about?" Lena blurted, spinning to face her grandad with her cheeks still flushed. "Grandad, don't be daft!"
Rian frowned, tilting his head again.
"Phone number?" he asked, his voice thick with confusion. He glanced from Marcus to Lena and back to the old man. "What's that?"