The air in the room was charged, dense with the weight of unsaid words as Shana faced the strangers in her living room. Thalia, usually so composed, suggested Shana head upstairs, claiming everything was under control. Yet, Shana's stance, firm and unwavering, spoke volumes of her refusal to back down without answers.
"Please, take a seat," urged one of the men, his voice attempting to weave a thread of calm through the tense atmosphere.
"I'd prefer if you stated your business and left as quickly as possible," Shana retorted, her patience fraying at the edges.
A smirk played on one of the men's lips. "Ooh, she's a feisty one, just like her father," he commented, a spark of interest igniting in Shana's eyes.
"How do you know my father?" she pressed, her curiosity piqued yet cloaked in annoyance.
It was Lucian, the tallest and darkest of the trio, who stepped forward with an air of importance. "Shana, you're being recruited to continue in your father's footsteps," he revealed, his voice carrying a weight of inevitability.
Thalia interjected, her voice a mix of worry and protectiveness, "She isn't ready."
Damien, with a grave look, countered, "There isn't much time left."
Luke, looking between his companions and Shana, added, "Sooner or later, she's going to find out. Why not sooner?"
"Find out what?" Shana demanded, her tone sharp with growing impatience.
The men exchanged a glance, a silent agreement passing between them before Lucian turned back to Shana. "Your dad wasn't always what he seemed," he said carefully. "He worked for an agency tasked with hunting supernaturals."
Before anyone could elaborate further, the room's tension was sliced by Lyra's voice, laced with disbelief and curiosity, "What do you mean 'supernaturals'?"