Chapitre 80: Cryptic Interference

The hospital cafeteria exuded an almost eerie stillness despite the occasional clatter of cutlery and murmured conversations. Its sterile, fluorescent lighting gave everything a pale glow, and the faint smell of antiseptic mingled with the aroma of cheap coffee.

Tomoya sat across from Jess, his body language rigid and unwelcoming. The tension between them was palpable, thick as the silence that had settled around their table. Jess had barely touched her salad, her fork occasionally poking at the lettuce while her gaze remained fixed downward.

"How’d it come to you that I would just hand you the grimoire that easily?" Tomoya’s voice cut through the silence, his tone sharp and laden with irritation.

His arms were crossed, his posture unyielding. It wasn’t in his nature to entertain vague requests, especially not when they revolved around something as dangerous as Samantha’s grimoire. Jess’s unwillingness to provide any meaningful explanation only fueled his skepticism.