The morning sun painted the city in shades of gold as Sophia's core-powered Clexus glided silently through the streets. The vehicle's energy matrix hummed softly, drawing power from the refined beast core in its engine block - a luxury few could afford but perfectly normal in her world.
Noah watched the city transform from the sleek upper district to the familiar silhouette of the academy. Last night felt like a dream - the kind you don't want to wake up from. The memory of her silk sheets, their conversations that had stretched into the early hours, the way she'd laughed at his terrible attempts at cooking breakfast...
"You're smiling again," Sophia said, her eyes on the road but a knowing grin playing at her lips.
"Am I?"
"Haven't stopped all morning."
