Ready to neutralize whatever threat had just forced its way into their protected space without warning, without permission, without the basic courtesy of knocking.
The children reacted on instinct as well, their responses shaped by very different but equally traumatic pasts.
Chen Xiao made a small sound of fear, a quiet whimper that spoke of too many memories of doors bursting open to admit violence, and pressed himself against Yuyan's side, his five-year-old body seeking protection from his twelve-year-old guardian. The coloring book fell from his small hands, forgotten, pages fluttering as it hit the floor.
Yuyan's response was more controlled but no less instinctive.
