Outside the diner, Aveline burst through the door, her cloak billowing in the wind like a banner in battle. Her boots struck the pavement with purpose, eyes narrowing as they locked onto a lone figure standing just ahead—another cloaked individual, the fabric of his garment visibly soaked and sagging, dripping with residual water magic.
"Tsk," the man clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed, his voice rough and grating with irritation. "I was just tasked to watch you three…"
He slipped a hand inside his cloak, fingers tightening around something unseen.
"But it seems like you've forced me!" he snarled—and in a sudden flash of movement, he hurled a dagger directly at Aveline.
She didn't flinch.
Instead, she chuckled—low, amused—as her hand snapped up with impossible timing. Two fingers caught the spinning blade mid-air with a metallic clink, stopping it cold.
"Is that it?" she asked with a smirk, letting the blade dangle lazily between her fingers.
