Sylvie's gaze shifted to Irina almost instinctively, her unease giving way to a different kind of curiosity. The faint pinkish hue she saw radiating from Irina's emotional palette caught her off guard. It was a color she had never associated with the Emberheart prodigy before—soft, warm, and utterly at odds with Irina's usual intensity.
'What… is that?'
Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she noticed Irina's expression. She was smiling—subtle, almost imperceptible, but undeniably there. And she wasn't smiling at Julia or the others. Her focus was entirely on Astron.
'No way…' Sylvie's chest tightened, her earlier unease replaced by a strange, twisting sensation she couldn't name.
From her vantage point, Sylvie could hear Julia's voice breaking through the crowd's hushed whispers.
"Wait, wait, wait," Julia said, her tone teasing but sharp with suspicion. "Irina, don't tell me… you knew?"
