#Chapter 148: Collapse of the Old Order

Aurora POV The coffeehouse smells like burnt espresso and pastries, like safety in the form of routine. I sit in my usual corner between classes, my back to the brick wall, the small round table pressed close enough that no one, not even my usual friends, can slide in uninvited. I am too distracted for socializing today. Luca sits to my right, close but not obvious, keeping people at bay. To anyone watching, he’s just another young man killing time on his phone while his girlfriend studies. He’s dressed down, but nothing about him is accidental. His boots are positioned just so, one foot angled toward the entrance, the other relaxed. The hand not holding his phone rests casually in his hoodie’s pocket where Aurora knows a small Derringer sits, only one of the three firearms secured around his body. His phone is loose in his hand, but his attention is sharp and focused on both their surroundings and what he’s reading. He scrolls. Every few se