"Hah… Haah… Hahhh," panted Ariana, her chest heaving after painstakingly dispatching five ordinary-class vampires.
"Well done. You're really strong," came a voice, light and almost teasing. She turned to see a young man with striking red hair and a warm smile.
"It's nothing. They were weak," she replied curtly, brushing off the compliment.
"Come on, you don't have to be so modest. Not everyone in our year could pull off what you just did," he said, stepping closer and holding out a handkerchief.
"But you could," she countered, retrieving her own cloth and wiping her brow, ignoring his gesture.
"Well… yeah," he admitted, awkwardly pocketing the handkerchief. A brief silence fell between them before he spoke again. "Um… have we met before?" His gaze shifted, scanning their surroundings to ensure none of their teammates were near.
"What do you mean?" Ariana's sharp blue eyes locked onto his.
