The door gave way without warning.
Darian stood there.
For a fleeting second, the image did not match the expectation. The striped tiger ears were unmistakable against his dark hair, and the tail behind him shifted once, then stilled low near his leg, tension coiled but restrained. Yet the presence did not impose. It flickered.
He looked younger up close.
His shoulders held slightly inward, not squared. His gaze lifted toward Trafalgar and Aubrelle, then faltered before settling fully. The contact lasted barely a breath before his eyes shifted aside.
More stray cat in a storm than apex predator in his territory.
Silence filled the narrow corridor.
The three of them standing in the doorway while the air still carried the faint pressure of mana that had not yet dispersed.
Trafalgar did not lower Maledicta immediately, though the blade no longer thrummed with imminent force. He studied Darian without speaking, giving him space to claim the moment.
