The atmosphere at the dinner table that evening was… strange.
Daniel, still feeling the phantom weight of his earlier labor, found himself picking at his food.
A lavish spread of real, delicious food, prepared by the villa's auto-chef, lay before them, but his mind was elsewhere.
He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled over him, a feeling that had a lot to do with the fiery-haired Rock Pugilist sitting across from him.
Ayra kept giving him strange glances throughout the meal.
They weren't her usual challenging glares or boisterous grins.
They were swift, calculating glances, like a cat eyeing an unsuspecting, easy prey. It made the hairs on the back of Daniel's neck stand on end.
"So, what exactly did you do for a month?" Lia asked, trying to break the tense silence. "If you weren't fighting beasts or training your skills, what was this foundation tempering?"
Daniel took a sip of water, considering his answer. He looked at their eager, curious faces.
