While reflecting on this, trying to assess his own state with the objectivity of an outside observer, his foot found a small stone step that he simply hadn't noticed. The stone was uneven, slightly higher than the others, and he did not see it.
"Hmm?"
His body leaned forward, his center of gravity shifting. By reflex, Kyrian immediately regained his balance, his muscles responding with the speed of years of training. Even so, he had stumbled. The movement was minimal, almost imperceptible, but it had definitely happened.
Gao Ziyue heard the small noise behind her, the sound of a stone shifting beneath a foot that was not completely steady. She stopped immediately, her feet firmly planted on the ground with the precision of someone accustomed to noticing the slightest sign that something was wrong.
She turned around, her eyes sweeping over Kyrian with an attention that went beyond simple observation.
