I walked for a while with my hands in my pockets, enjoying the rare moment where nothing was actively trying to kill me or tamper with my mind, and that alone made the situation suspicious enough to deserve caution.
I had sent Juli to do something.
Everything looked normal around me, which was exactly why it was not.
The sky remained clear, the air felt steady, and there was no pressure lingering at the edge of my senses, but experience had already taught me that peace in a situation like this was never real, it was only a delay.
"Alright," I said, glancing around with mild disappointment, "who is next, and can you at least try to be creative this time?"
Silence answered me, which was expected and still annoying.
I continued walking, but my awareness sharpened. I already knew the order, and I knew what should come next, and if I was being honest, I would have preferred something simple like a direct attack instead of whatever this was going to turn into.
Then I heard it.
