The morning air in the bustling commercial heart of Freenly City was crisp, but the atmosphere between the two men walking down the pedestrian avenue was wound as tight as a tripwire. Kaelan adjusted his glasses with a slightly bored, nonchalant flick of his finger, his hands tucked loosely into his trousers pockets. Marcus walked half a step ahead of him, still looking incredibly stiff, his eyes scanning the street as if he were scanning a corporate spreadsheet for errors rather than enjoying a day off.
"We are doing this properly," Marcus stated flatly, stopping abruptly in front of a brightly colored arcade and ticket venue. He turned on his heel to face the GEM director, his face deadpan. "Since you insisted on dragging me out here, we are going to follow a standard, baseline protocol. First, we are going to enter that arena, we are going to play the digital targeting games, and then we are going to buy cotton candy from the street cart. That is what normal people do."
