Aurelius trailed behind his teammates, his thoughts preoccupied with their recent defeat. As he approached the exit, he nearly collided with a slender figure.
"S-Sorry," he stammered, stepping back, but the figure brushed past him without acknowledgment.
He watched, bewildered, as the figure continued down the hallway.
"You are really preparing hard for 'it', huh," the figure said with a chuckle, her voice laced with amusement as she addressed Instructor Valerie.
Valerie turned, her expression sharpening at the familiar voice. "Merel... What are you doing here?"
"Hey, why are you being so cold? Aren't we colleagues?" Merel's lips curled into a wry smile as she approached. Her pitch-black hair framed her face, and her piercing red eyes glimmered with a mix of challenge and curiosity.
Valerie sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly, though her eyes remained guarded. "If you have no business with me, I kindly ask you to leave."
