Lucen paused on the top of the stairwell, keys out but frozen in mid-air. The door to his apartment was cracked a foot open.
Half a front step inside, soft lighting cast warm angles across the floorboards, and there, standing by the kitchenette, was a woman he'd never seen before.
Her posture was easy, confident. Not threatening. But she was entirely out of place in his off-market, too-small, lived-in space.
She wore a sleek, dark blazer, hair pulled back in a precise bun, and her hand curled around a glass, something clear, maybe water or that purified mana drink.
Code-blue pulse lines traced across her sleeve; unmistakably guild-grade aura.
Lucen's fingers traced the brass key in his pocket. He'd never left his door unlocked.
His voice came out flat. "You're gonna invite me in or are you just camping here?"
