Byun moved closer to the remains, his shadows flickering faintly at his feet. He crouched, fingers brushing just above the blackened soil. His gaze tracked the scorched circles, sharp and unblinking. "It matches what I saw earlier," he said, voice flat, almost cold. "These weren't random burns. They were deliberate. Branded into it."
He straightened, looking toward Jae. "You saw it too, didn't you?"
Jae's red eyes shifted to him briefly, then dropped back to the bones. His face betrayed nothing, but his answer was short and firm. "Yeah."
Mrs. Lira's attention snapped back to him at that. Her gaze lingered, hard yet softened by an undercurrent of concern. For a moment she seemed less instructor and more protector, but her voice remained level. "And you faced it head-on."
