As the last of the crowds began to filter out of the arena, the two boys finally stood from their seats.
Neither said much at first, walking side by side.
Then Renn broke the silence.
"So," he asked casually, "do you live in the capital too?"
Michael glanced sideways at him.
The question wasn't particularly odd, but he was still quite suspicious about Renn. Still, there was no harm in being honest.
"…Yeah," Michael said. "I do."
He wasn't prepared for the reaction.
Renn stopped walking. Slowly, he turned toward him with a look that could only be described as reverence. "You're… serious?"
Michael blinked. "…Yeah?"
"You live. In the capital. Like your own space?" Renn repeated it like a sacred chant, eyes wide, posture stiff. His hand even touched the wooden sword at his waist, as if grounding himself.
"…Why do you look like that?" Michael asked, genuinely confused.
