The guild did not return to its usual rhythm after the report.
The activity resumed, but the atmosphere carried a quiet tension that had not been there before. It was not obvious enough to disrupt movement, yet it lingered beneath everything, shaping the way people observed the room.
Kael noticed it immediately.
The glances were different now.
They were no longer casual or curious. They lingered longer, more deliberate, as though people were trying to understand something that had not yet been explained to them.
He shifted slightly, leaning against the wall near the edge of the room in an attempt to stay out of the center of attention.
It didn't help.
"…This is getting worse," he said quietly.
"Yes," Lyra replied.
Kael glanced at her. "You keep saying that like it's helpful."
"It is not meant to be helpful."
He exhaled and pushed himself off the wall, pacing a short distance before stopping again.
"They didn't ask questions," he said. "That's the part I don't like."
Lyra watched the room rather than him.
"They will," she said. "When they know what to ask."
Kael frowned. "That's worse."
"Yes."
Across the room, movement drew his attention.
Darius stood near the far side of the guild, his posture unchanged, his expression as controlled as before. Unlike the others, he did not attempt to hide his focus.
He was watching directly.
Kael held his gaze for a moment before looking away.
"I don't like that," he said.
"You should not," Lyra replied.
The wolf-type stood nearby as well, though his attention was less obvious. He did not stare openly, but his awareness remained fixed on Kael in a way that suggested continued evaluation.
It was no longer dismissive.
It was intentional.
Kael rubbed the back of his neck, his expression tightening slightly.
"I went from being the weakest person in the room," he said, "to the one people are trying to figure out."
"Yes," Lyra said.
"That's not better."
"No."
He let out a slow breath, trying to steady his thoughts.
"…What happens now?"
Lyra followed his gaze toward the front desk, where the woman was speaking quietly with someone Kael did not recognize. The conversation was brief, but the shift in posture between them suggested the exchange carried more weight than the words themselves.
When Lyra spoke, her voice was quieter.
"You will be observed," she said.
Kael nodded slowly.
"I already am."
Lyra did not correct him.