"She's here."
The words had barely settled when the door behind them opened.
No one reacted immediately. The shift in the room came first, subtle but unmistakable, as attention aligned toward the entrance. Julian noticed that before he turned. The silence that followed was not confusion or surprise. It was recognition.
Lucian's posture remained unchanged, but his focus had already shifted. Julian caught it in the way Lucian's eyes held steady, as though he had been expecting this moment to arrive.
Julian turned.
She walked in without hesitation.
There was nothing exaggerated in her movement. No attempt to command attention, no visible effort to assert presence. Yet the space adjusted around her naturally, as though the room acknowledged her without needing to be told.
Selene remained still, and Victoria watched quietly.
Maelcor's attention sharpened, tracking her entry without interruption.
Julian observed all of it at once.
