Varon stood stiffly on the cracked sidewalk, his brows knitted in unease as he watched the noodle shop's dusty glass door. The shop had been silent for too long, and Jian—usually restless and talkative—hadn't emerged. His grip tightened on the strap of his utility belt.
"I'll check what's going on," he said flatly, without turning. "You stay here. Don't wander around."
Li Wang didn't respond right away, just gave a slight nod as Varon pushed the door open and stepped into the darkened shop, the door creaking shut behind him with a dull thud.
Alone now, Li Wang stood still, his posture oddly rigid. His fingers twitched at his sides before slipping into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a scratched, old-fashioned Earth-made phone—the kind with an actual screen and body weight, not the transparent data-sheets the Farians used. Its screen flickered weakly, and in the corner, the battery icon blinked red: 5%.
He clenched his jaw.
