Ren's heart was so full it was going to burst. It was his turn to pull his gaze and look the other side while keeping a smile from stretching his lips to the limit.
Ren came back to Diamond Palace with a mind half-focused on the real world and half still trapped in COVENANT. The meeting with Serius Alvarez had been a storm of pride and threats, but now that he understood what the old man truly wanted, he no longer felt weighed down by uncertainty.
He had seen the shape of the battlefield. And once Ren could see the field, he already knew how to win.
For now, though, there were more pressing matters.
He took another quick shower, letting the warm water slide down his skin. It wasn't that he felt dirty — it was that he needed to wash away the tension clinging to him. The steam filled the bathroom, fogging the glass and softening his reflection.
He glanced at the clock. One hour left before he had to meet Evie.
Somehow, it didn't feel enough.
