The hotel room was tense, the air thick with unspoken animosity. Alhaitham sat at the desk, his nose buried in a book, while Kaveh lounged on his bed, scrolling through his phone. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional flip of a page or the soft tap of Kaveh’s fingers on the screen. Their shared space felt like a battlefield, each man entrenched in their own corner, refusing to acknowledge the other.

But the day’s events had been different. They’d been out exploring Fontaine, the city of water and beauty, separated into different groups for activities. Kaveh had trailed behind his group, feeling the sting of exclusion as his friends chatted animatedly ahead of him. Alhaitham, ever the observant one, had glanced back, catching Kaveh’s dejected expression. But he’d said nothing, continuing on with his own group.

After a few hours, the coach sent everyone to eat dinner in the campfire with their groups. Although Alhaitham was with his group of friends, talking and making occasional grunts, he silently looked over to Kaveh, who was happily talking to his friends, but they didn't seem to care. In fact, they looked judgmental.

Now, back in the room, the tension between them was even more palpable. Kaveh couldn’t shake the feeling of being left out, and Alhaitham couldn’t ignore the way Kaveh’s usual fiery demeanor had dimmed. It was almost unsettling.

Alhaitham looked up from his book, his piercing gaze locking onto Kaveh’s. “Oi,” he said, his tone cold and mocking. “Looks like your friends don't really like you, huh? Pathetic.”

Kaveh’s jaw tightened, but didn't respond.

Alhaitham stared at him with a neutral aura, before going back to his book. “Tch, figures...”