The air didn't just tense.
It compressed.
Vivianne felt it instantly, her instincts screaming before her mind caught up. The magic pressure rolling off Evelina wasn't aggressive, but it was heavy, like standing too close to a sleeping dragon.
"…Ah," Vivianne said dumbly.
That was all she managed before instinctively taking a step back.
Evelina didn't move.
She simply stared.
Her crimson eyes slid from Vivianne… to the dagger launcher on my wrist… to the training scars etched into the courtyard stone… and finally, to me.
Slowly.
Painfully.
"…Explain," she said.
One word, no raised voice, no magical flare.
Far more dangerous than either.
"She's my student," I replied calmly. "Training session."
Vivianne nodded a bit too fast. "Y-Yes! Just training! Physical conditioning, spell reaction drills, close-range adaptation—"
Evelina raised a hand.
Vivianne stopped talking immediately, like someone had pressed a mute button.
