Chapter 178: Ask Me More
Arthur and Aziel stared at Myah in contemplative silence, the weight of her ominous words settling over them like a heavy blanket. The reality of what they were walking into was beginning to clear into uncomfortable clarity, each passing moment adding another layer of uncertainty to their already precarious situation. The gentle rumble of the armored vehicle’s engine provided a steady backdrop to the tension that had suddenly filled the passenger compartment.
Arthur gulped audibly, the sound seeming unnaturally loud in the quiet space. The simple reflex betrayed the anxiety that was beginning to gnaw at the edges of his carefully maintained composure. He had thought he was prepared for this mission, but Myah’s matter-of-fact assessment of their chances was forcing him to confront the harsh realities of their situation.
Myah, still sprawled across her bench seat with her eyes apparently closed, opened her left eye and gazed at them with the calculating look of a predator sizing up potential prey. As she took in their expressions of growing concern, a wry grin began to develop across her features, transforming her face from one of casual indifference to something far more mischievous.
"Getting scared?" she asked, her voice carrying a teasing tone that seemed designed to provoke a reaction.
Arthur, startled by her sudden direct question, stared at her in silence for a moment as he processed what she had just asked. The challenge in her voice was unmistakable, and despite the very real dangers they were facing, he felt his competitive nature rising to meet it. After a brief pause, he developed a grin of his own, one that matched her cocky expression with equal confidence.
"Not a chance," he replied, his voice steady despite the lingering traces of anxiety that continued to flutter in his chest.
Myah chuckled at his response, a sound that carried both amusement and skepticism in equal measure. She rolled her eyes with the practiced ease of someone who had heard similar bravado countless times before, clearly unimpressed by his display of confidence.
"Scared?!" Aziel interjected, his voice rising with indignation at the very suggestion. "Aziel Borasten doesn’t get scared!" His declaration was delivered with the kind of absolute certainty that only came from either supreme confidence or complete delusion, and Arthur wasn’t entirely sure which category his friend fell into.
Myah sighed deeply at Aziel’s outburst, the sound carrying a note of resignation that suggested she had expected exactly this kind of response. She closed her eyes again and rolled over to face the wall of the SUV, clearly indicating that she had heard enough masculine posturing for the moment.