Lin Mei and her group approached their designated platform, the one directly adjacent to Azrail's. Her companion, Xiao Yuan, chattered energetically about something, gesturing with animated hands. Lin Mei smiled and nodded at appropriate intervals, the picture of a patient friend indulging an enthusiastic companion.
But Azrail noticed the way her eyes swept the cultivation grounds in quick, efficient scans. The way her steps were naturally positioned her so that she could see all approaches. The way her hand, hidden in her sleeve, held something small—a defensive talisman, he guessed, kept ready despite being in a public, presumably safe location.
'Smart girl,' he thought approvingly. 'You already know something's wrong. You just don't know what yet.'
As Lin Mei stepped onto her platform, her foot crossed an invisible threshold.
And for a brief, fraction-of-a-second moment, her gaze swept across the adjacent platform and locked directly onto Azrail's eyes.
