The breath left her lungs in a sharp, startled gasp.
The man she had collided with looked down at her, one dark brow lifting in mild irritation, his gaze sweeping over her rumpled state with clear displeasure.
"Are you blind?" Rael remarked dryly.
There was no anger in his tone, only amusement, edged with disdain, as though she were little more than an inconvenience brushing against his path.
Heat rushed to her face.
"I..." She stopped herself just in time.
No voice. No explanation.
She lowered her head quickly instead, clutching the bucket tighter to her chest and stepping aside. Her shoulders hunched instinctively, posture shrinking inward, deferential, invisible.
Rael scoffed softly.
"Watch where you're going next time," he added, already turning away.
His boots echoed down the corridor, unhurried, confident, his presence receding like a shadow pulled back into darkness.
She remained frozen for several heartbeats after he left.
