Valen blinked once. Then twice. Then stared at the floor like it might offer him guidance.
"I… I'm pursuing Opehlia."
The words were soft. Hesitant. But they carried enough weight to shift the entire room.
Isabella's head tilted in slow motion, her brows rising in an arc of sharp suspicion. She blinked at him once, then twice—almost mirroring him—before her lips parted just a little, and she turned to Glimora with a single silent look.
The beast, curled up by her feet, blinked back up at her. One ear twitched, then the other—like little antennae picking up tea.
"Oh, this just got good," Isabella whispered dramatically, eyes gleaming as she leaned slightly forward like she was front row at a stage play.
Glimora blinked again, then tilted her head and looked up at Valen like: So… you wanna die or… should I give you five seconds to run?
