The sun had barely climbed over the horizon when the group began piling into Aether's car. The night before had been chaotic, full of pranks, teasing, and more than a few moments of tension between Aether and Scaramouche. But now, as the morning light filled the sky, they were finally heading back to the school dorms.
Venti, once again in the passenger seat, stared out the window with a tired expression, clearly still unsettled by the events of the day before. He crossed his arms over his chest and let out a dramatic sigh.
"Aether," Venti whined, turning to his twin with a pout on his face. "You're driving too fast again! You almost hit that rat last timeâare you trying to do the same thing today?"
Aether glanced over at Venti, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "We're just heading to the city, Venti. Relax."
But Venti was persistent, his face scrunched in worry. "No, no, no! Remember the rat? That could've been a squirrel, or worseâsomething important. The whole car could have flipped over!"
Aether just chuckled, his foot pressing harder on the gas as the car sped down the winding path leading away from the woods. "If I hit something, it's just a bump. No need to make a big deal out of it."
Lumine sat quietly in the backseat, eyes fixed on the passing trees. She could feel the tension between the twoâVentiâs concern and Aetherâs easygoing attitudeâbut didnât say anything. Scaramouche, sitting next to her, had an eyebrow raised, clearly amused by the bickering.
âMaybe Ventiâs right, Aether,â Scaramouche teased, his voice low but laced with sarcasm. "You are driving like a maniac. Whatâs the rush?â
Aether shot him a quick, unamused glance. "It's not like weâre in any danger," he said dismissively, flicking a glance at the rearview mirror. âBut fine, Iâll slow down if youâre all so concerned.â
Venti huffed dramatically, crossing his arms even tighter. "Thank you," he muttered under his breath, although his worry didnât seem to be fully alleviated.
As they made their way toward the city, the trees began to thin, and the road began to straighten out, leading them closer to the bustling urban area. The air was thick with anticipation as they neared their destination, the peace of the woods giving way to the sounds of the city.
Venti couldnât hold his complaints back for much longer. "Aether, this is madness! Slow down, you're going to end up crashing into somethingââ
But before he could finish, the car suddenly came to a screeching halt. The sudden motion made everyone jerk forward, and Venti let out a shocked gasp.
"Uh, Aether?" Ayaka's voice was calm but laced with confusion. "What happened?"
Aether sat up straighter, his gaze flicking to the dashboard with a hint of annoyance. His voice was flat, unamused. âWeâre here.â He shot Venti a look. âI told you, didnât I?â
Everyone in the car turned to stare out the window, realizing they had arrived at the school dormsâfaster than any of them had expected. The building loomed ahead, its structure tall and modern, the familiar sight of the dorm parking lot welcoming them back.
Venti blinked several times, his mouth agape. "Wait... weâre here already?"
Kazuha, who had been quiet throughout the ride, leaned forward in his seat, eyes wide. âThat was fastâ¦â He glanced over at Aether. âHow long was that?â
Before anyone could respond, Albedo, who had been typing something into his phone, looked up with a slightly surprised expression. âEight minutes and fifty-nine seconds,â he said, his tone utterly deadpan.
The group was silent for a moment, all of them processing what Albedo had just said.
"Wait, what?" Amber blinked, her head swiveling toward Albedo. "Eight minutes and fifty-nine seconds from the woods to the city?"
Scaramouche let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Damn, Aether. Youâre an actual maniac.â He grinned, making sure Aether could see his teasing smirk. "I didn't know you could drive like that."
Lumine, still slightly shaken from the sudden stop, turned to look at Aether. "You... really did that in under nine minutes?"
Aether gave a nonchalant shrug, his hands resting casually on the steering wheel. "I told you, Iâve got this. No need to make a fuss over it."
Albedo, ever the calculating one, raised an eyebrow, glancing over his phone. "Just to clarify," he continued, "the route we just took is roughly thirty-five miles from the woods to the city. To drive that in less than nine minutes... well, thatâs quite impressive, Aether."
The group exchanged looks of surprise and disbelief, their minds struggling to comprehend how Aether had managed such a feat.
âWell, no wonder you always drive us everywhere,â Ayaka said, half-serious, half-amused. "Youâve clearly got the skills."
Scaramouche chuckled, raising an eyebrow as he leaned back in his seat. âYou know, Aether, if you didnât act like a showoff, you might actually get some compliments.â
Aether merely shot him a look, one that silently warned him to keep quiet.
Lumine couldnât help but smile slightly, though. She could see why Aether liked to driveâhe was fast, confident, and, as it seemed, could get them to their destination in record time. But as much as she appreciated his speed, she didnât think sheâd ever get used to the feeling of racing through the streets like that.
They all piled out of the car, the cool morning air greeting them as they stretched and yawned, ready to return to the comfort of the school dorms. As they walked toward the entrance, Venti still grumbled under his breath about Aetherâs driving, but the group was too busy laughing at the absurdity of their journey to pay much attention.
Despite the chaos, despite the jokes, it felt good to be home.