I freshened up and headed to my bed.
We returned home in silence after the fight—no one said a word. The air was heavy, thick with what none of us dared to admit. The realization hit hard: he hadn't even lifted a finger, yet we were all on the ground. The taste of sand still lingered in my mouth.
I sat at the edge of my bed and lowered my head, confusion clawing at the back of my mind. I didn't understand how everything had fallen apart so fast.
The night dragged on without rest. Sleep refused to come. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him—Zarin—standing above us, his shadow swallowing the alley, his voice echoing like a curse.
When dawn finally broke, its light felt pale and useless. The others were already awake, gathered in the common room. No one spoke. All joy had vanished into thin air. The air was tight with unspoken blame—blame for not being strong enough, for not being ready.
Cody leaned against the wall, arms crossed, staring at the ground. "We can't face him like this," he muttered.
Annabeth glanced up from the couch, her voice quiet but sharp. "Then we train harder."
"Training won't be enough," Iris said, her tone trembling slightly. "He… he crushed us without even trying."
Her words hung in the air, heavy and true. I clenched my fists, feeling the sting of failure crawl under my skin.
"How about Master? Has he said anything?" Katara asked, turning to Tyra, who sat at the far end of the room.
"Not a word," Tyra replied quietly.
I guess even he knew the weight of this situation.
"Instead of sitting here brooding, why don't we look for clues?" Jace spoke up.
"Oh yeah? And where do you suggest we begin?" Zayn retorted, clearly frustrated. "Elton is huge and—"
"I can use my powers to search for something, but it's risky," Cody volunteered. True—it would require him to cover the entire town with magic, and if the Purge Units noticed, he could be caught immediately.
"Can the dragons seriously not know anything? This is frustrating," Annabeth began pacing around the room.
"I think we should figure out a different strategy," Iris said, clearly agitated. "Clearly, we are not getting anywhere."
The tension was thick, frustration bleeding into every conversation. I hadn't said a word—but Iris was right. A different approach was what we needed. And then it hit me.
"Yesterday…" I began. Everyone turned to me. "…There was a man at the shop… The flower shop. I could sense he had magic."
I paused, letting my words sink in. I stood up from where I was sitting and faced them.
"Jace and I followed him down the alley, but then Zarin showed up. I believe—it wasn't a coincidence."
Everyone's eyes widened at the realization.
"He's not looking for something...Perhaps someone," Tyra stepped closer, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
"And this man you speak of might just be our guy…" Cody chimed in.
Hope began to saturate the air, but Jace's brow furrowed. "This doesn't guarantee anything. We lost yesterday, and if our suspect is involved, Zarin might have gotten to him already. We can't even count on him being alive."
"He has a daughter. She's gotta know something," I argued.
"I don't think she's just going to hand over information, Hunter," Jace said, arms crossed.
We all fell silent. Trust would have to be earned before any information came through.
I headed for the door. Why sit here with uncertainties when she works down the street?
"Where are you going?" Zayn asked before I opened the door.
"To get answers." I didn't wait for their response, shutting the door behind me and heading to her shop.
I walked for about fifteen minutes before spotting her shop. I approached slowly, but the door was still locked.
"Could it be… Zarin got here first?" I muttered.
Maybe she was just running late. I decided to wait. The roads of Elton were busy even at this hour. Thanks to Cody, the fight from last night had appeared nonexistent to anyone passing by—almost like it had happened in a different reality entirely.
I rubbed my hands together for warmth, laughing quietly at the absurdity of the situation.
"Hunter?" A voice pulled me back to the present. I snapped my head toward it.
Relief flooded me. "Good morning, Amanda."
"Good morning! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," she said cheerfully as she unlocked the door.
"Oh… no, I haven't been waiting for long," I replied, forcing my voice to sound casual.
She smiled and stepped behind the counter.
"What can I get for you today?" The shop was neat, just as I remembered. She walked over to the shelves filled with artificial flowers, her movements careful but graceful.
"Chrysanthemums, please," I said, resigning myself to the small ritual I couldn't escape today.
As she retrieved the flowers, I decided to make conversation. "How's your father?"
"He's… good," she answered, and I couldn't help but notice the subtle tension in her posture and the way her eyes darted now and then. Something told me she knew more than she let on.
Just as she reached for the flowers, a chill crept up my spine. I looked around the shop, but nothing seemed out of place. My gaze drifted back to Amanda, still innocently arranging the petals.
I took a few slow steps toward her, standing just a few feet behind when—suddenly—it was close. Too close. The air thickened, and for a moment, I could almost feel something standing right behind me.
I froze. My blood turned cold.
Then I saw Amanda's hand pause midair. The flowers slipped from her grasp, scattering soundlessly across the floor. She didn't move. Didn't breathe.
Did she feel it too?
The presence lingered—heavy, suffocating. Amanda's eyes flickered toward me, wide and uncertain.
I met her gaze and gave a small, wordless nod. Together, we turned.
At the same time, we snapped our heads back—only to find nothing. The presence was gone.
Our racing hearts began to slow, though unease still lingered.
No doubt about it… only Zarin could leave behind a chill like that.
First the father, and now the daughter? I didn't understand his game.
"Hunter…" Amanda's voice trembled slightly. "You felt that too."
"Yes." My answer came out quieter than I intended—because lying would've been pointless.
Her eyes locked onto mine.
"Hunter...Do you have magic?"