Ezra quietly stared at Vera through the holographic screen.
His expression remained as calm and unreadable as ever.
On the other side of the call, Vera returned his gaze without saying a word. She tilted her head ever so slightly, her long black hair shifting gently with the movement. Her dull, fish-like eyes never left Ezra's face, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Neither of them spoke.
The holographic screen remained suspended above the Starlix and Zphone, faithfully projecting both of their faces.
Silence settled between them.
It wasn't an ordinary silence.
It was the kind that slowly spread to everyone nearby, making the people around them instinctively stop talking.
Across the table...
Lucy awkwardly moved her eyes back and forth between her master and Vera's projection.
She picked up her spoon.
Lowered it again.
Picked it up once more.
In the end...
She quietly placed it back on the plate.
For some reason...
