With a triumphant grin plastered on his face, Eldric sauntered over to Kaelen and Ethan, positioning himself squarely between them. He cast a sideways glance at both, his expression brimming with smug satisfaction.
"I told you both to await my glorious return," he said, his voice thick with self-assuredness. "Honestly, you should've known better than to doubt me."
Kaelen chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Sure, sure, we had every reason to be skeptical. But you pulled it off."
Just as Eldric was reveling in his moment of victory, Lila's voice cut through the chatter with a wry tone, "Well, if your 'glorious return' involves almost getting swept off the platform, then I suppose it was… quite something."
Eldric's grin froze instantly, his confidence cracking. A slight twitch formed at the corner of his eye, his fists clenching as he fought back the frustration bubbling up. With a sigh, he muttered, "Yeah, well… I like to keep things exciting."
