Arianna walked briskly through the bustling town center.
Her hands clutching a small shopping list.
Her steps faltered only for a moment as her mind drifted back to the conversation she'd had with Noah the night before.
It hadn't been a long one, but it had left an impression on her.
A mix of confusion, unease, and something else she couldn't quite name.
Noah had been his usual self, seated casually in a chair in Old Man Wilfred's dimly lit shop.
Exuding the same arrogance that somehow never wavered.
She'd stood awkwardly before him, unsure of where to begin or how she'd ended up roped into this situation.
It wasn't like they were friends or anything close to it.
He'd spoken first, his tone indifferent, almost bored.
"Since you've seen me, I'll get straight to the point.
You're not going to tell anyone—not the academy, not your little friends, no one....
Got it?"
