The morning sun streamed through the penthouse windows, illuminating the breakfast table where six of us sat in tense silence. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken competition as Rachel methodically cut her pancakes into perfect triangles, Seraphina delicately sipped her tea, and Rose pretended to be engrossed in the morning news on her tablet.
Cecilia, however, was practically radiating triumph.
"I should be back around dinner time," she announced to no one in particular, her crimson eyes gleaming with undisguised victory. "Don't wait up if we're late."
The other three girls maintained admirable composure, though I caught the slight tightening of Rachel's grip on her fork, the almost imperceptible narrowing of Seraphina's eyes, and the way Rose's tablet screen dimmed from her unconscious mana fluctuation.
"Have a lovely time," Rose said with practiced politeness that couldn't quite mask her disappointment.
