Lucas approached slowly, boots crunching over shattered gravel. The wind dragged long ribbons of dust across the ground, catching on the folds of Kai's coat.
Kai didn't stand.
He just stirred the pot once more, then ladled steaming broth into a chipped cup and offered it without looking up. "Drink?"
"Not thirsty," Lucas said.
"Shame. I used real meat."
Lucas stopped a few paces away, arms loose at his sides. The silence stretched between them, long and deliberate. Then he spoke.
"You walked into my territory. Didn't ping a beacon. Didn't offer protocol. That's a bold move."
Kai finally looked up, dark eyes sharp beneath wind-swept hair. "Didn't come for protocol."
"Then what?"
"I came to join routes."
Lucas blinked once, then tilted his head slightly. "You serious?"
Kai nodded. "You run the East-West corridor. I have the Southeast. Military doesn't touch it. Neither do the Shifter colonies. It's ripe. But I need infrastructure. You have it."
Lucas didn't respond.
