The click of Lysera's boots echoed in the corridor as she approached her office, her mind already running through the list of urgent matters that needed her attention.
She reached for the door—only to have it swing open, revealing Sergeant Sergeant Delran standing there as if she'd been waiting.
The air between them tightened instantly. Both women locked eyes, neither willing to look away first.
A silent challenge passed between them—an unspoken acknowledgment of two sharp minds and stronger wills colliding in the same space.
Finally, Sergeant Delran tilted her head slightly, breaking the hold, and gestured for Lysera to follow.
Lysera stepped inside, noting immediately that her office had an intruder. An unfamiliar man sat comfortably in the guest chair, legs crossed, hands folded neatly on his lap.
His white-and-gold priest robes were pristine, and the pleasant curve of his lips gave him an air of harmless civility—one Lysera didn't buy for a second.
