"I accept it, okay."
Eleanor's hands came together with a crisp clap that echoed through the wide, empty chamber.
The sound wasn't loud—but it was final. Like a door closing. Or the start of something new.
"Good," she said, voice firm now, shedding the softness from moments before. "Then let's begin."
She stepped past them with ease, making her way to the center of the facility. The mana in the room stirred faintly around her, reacting not to any spell, but to her presence. It always did.
Ethan and Astron followed in silence, the air around them shifting from quiet conversation to something heavier. Familiar. Dangerous.
Eleanor turned to face them, her expression composed, all traces of amusement and challenge now gone. In its place—professional, precise focus.
