The dim lighting of Udari’s bedroom casts a warm, amber glow over everything—the posters on the wall, the clutter of records piled in one corner, and the tangled mess of cords from his headphones and speakers. The air smells faintly of incense, and the only sound is the steady hum of his record player in the background. A few candles flicker on his desk, their flames dancing lazily in the stillness of the room.

Udari lounges on his bed, half-sitting, half-reclining, his dreads draped across his shoulders. He’s wearing an oversized band tee and ripped jeans, his legs sprawled out lazily. He has his guitar beside him, but it’s untouched, as if it’s waiting for inspiration that isn’t coming. His fingers tap lightly on his knee, an unconscious rhythm to match the ambient music.

Adrian sits cross-legged on the floor, a book open in his lap, but his eyes are trained not on the pages, but on the wall ahead of him. His blonde hair, neatly styled, is slightly tousled from the long day, and his vintage sweater adds to his soft academia vibe. He’s trying to appear absorbed in his reading, but everyone can tell he’s only pretending—his mind wandering somewhere far away.

Destiny is perched on Udari’s desk chair, one leg pulled up beneath her, the other foot on the floor as she swivels back and forth absently. Her skunk-highlighted hair cascades over her shoulders, a few stray pieces falling over her face as she scrolls through her phone. Her Y2K style—baggy cargo pants, platform sneakers, and a mesh top—makes her look like she stepped out of an early 2000s music video. She hums along to the song playing in the background, her fingers tapping her phone screen, but her attention drifts from it just as easily as it drifts to the other two.

Udari breaks the silence with a casual comment, but it’s more loaded than it sounds. "So... you guys think we’re getting too comfortable with this?"

Adrian, without looking up from his book, speaks, voice low and measured. "Comfortable with what? Sitting in silence for hours at a time? Yeah, it’s like second nature at this point." A slight edge to his voice, but he hides it well.