"There's a hidden passage here," he said, his voice more focused now. "Help me find it."
"A hidden passage?" Elin echoed, her soft voice tinged with confusion as her brows furrowed delicately.
"Yes," Nathan affirmed with a curt nod, pulling his hand away from Elin's grasp. He took a small step forward, eyes scanning the ancient stone around them. "That hooded man you noticed earlier—while you were speaking with your classmates—I followed him all the way here."
"W-What?" Freja stammered, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You spied on us?!"
Her tone was a mix of outrage and incredulity.
Nathan raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "The same way you spied on me? Trust me, I was just as obvious as both of you. We all suck at subtlety."
Freja's face flushed an angry pink. Her mouth opened to respond but nothing came out. She clenched her fists in frustration. She wasn't used to being on the receiving end of teasing—especially not from someone like him.
