Mercenaries.
Six revealed themselves at first, but the forest had more to give. Shadows stirred, and from them stepped another, then another. Soon, nearly twenty men and women spread through the trees, forming a loose but unmistakable circle around Jae's squad.
Tirel's playful smirk vanished as she counted them. "Well… this is new." Her voice carried bravado, but the fire gathering at her fingertips betrayed readiness, not ease.
Elise's breath caught, too quick, too shallow. Mana swirled around her in fine threads, flickering with every tremor in her hands. "They can't be part of the academy right?." Her eyes darted to Jae, as if waiting for him to tell her this was still a test.
Byun's shadows pulled tighter, swirling against his arms like serpents wound for a strike. His grin was absent, his tone dry. "Definitely not. Their killing intent's too thick. This isn't staged."
