Lyra didn't hesitate once they entered the guild.
She moved with purpose, weaving through the crowd as if she had done it a hundred times before. Kael followed a step behind, trying not to draw more attention than he already was, though he quickly realized that was impossible.
People were watching him.
Not openly, but enough that he could feel it—quick glances, subtle shifts in posture, conversations that paused for just a moment too long.
He tried not to react.
It didn't work.
They stopped at the front desk, where a woman stood behind a reinforced counter, reviewing something on a slate-like device. She looked up as Lyra approached, her sharp gaze immediately assessing both of them.
"You're back quickly," she said.
Lyra placed a small token on the counter. "Completion."
The woman's eyes flicked down to the token, then back up again. She did not look surprised, but she did look attentive.
"…You didn't stay in the designated outer zone," she said.
It wasn't phrased as a question.
Lyra didn't deny it. "Unexpected encounter."
The woman's gaze shifted to Kael, lingering this time.
"What rank was the target?"
"Above F," Lyra replied.
That earned a pause.
Not dramatic, but noticeable.
The woman straightened slightly, her attention sharpening. "Explain."
Kael rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly aware that this was probably the part where he said something useful.
"…It was bigger than the others," he said. "Faster, too. I tried to redirect it, but it didn't work the same way."
"That is still not an explanation."
"…Right," he muttered.
Lyra stepped in before he could say anything else. "He adapted mid-engagement. Partial control, but unstable."
The woman studied him again.
This time, it felt more deliberate.
"Name," she said.
"Kael."
"Full designation."
"That is my full designation."
She paused, then wrote it down anyway.
"Skill?"
"Kinetic redirection," Lyra answered.
That drew attention.
Not from the woman—
From the room.
Kael felt it immediately.
Several people nearby shifted just slightly. A few conversations quieted. Someone in the back let out a short, amused laugh.
He glanced around, trying not to look like he was reacting to it.
"…That's not a good reaction, is it?" he said quietly.
"No," Lyra replied.
The woman behind the counter slid a small metal plate toward him. "Identification."
Kael picked it up, turning it slightly in his hand. It was heavier than he expected, the engraved surface catching the light just enough to make the text stand out clearly.
F-Rank Human Unit
Name: Kael
Skill: Kinetic Redirection
He stared at it for a moment.
"…They really didn't hold back on the 'you're weak' part."
A voice behind him answered before Lyra could.
"That's because you are."
Kael turned.
Three Beastkin stood a short distance away, their posture relaxed but confident in a way that suggested they didn't need to prove anything.
Behind each of them stood a human.
Those humans looked different.
Not physically—
But in the way they carried themselves.
They weren't uncertain or reactive. They stood calmly, as if they belonged exactly where they were.
Kael noticed that immediately.
The one who had spoken stepped forward. He was taller than the others, his build solid without being exaggerated. His features leaned toward wolf-type, though less pronounced than Lyra's.
"You're new," he said.
"Yeah," Kael replied.
"Then listen carefully."
The man stepped closer, just enough to make the space feel smaller.
"Stay out of the way."
Kael tilted his head slightly. "Out of the way of what?"
"Everything."
There was no hostility in his tone.
That made it worse.
Lyra shifted slightly, stepping forward just enough to close the space between them.
"Problem?" she asked.
The man glanced at her, measuring, then shook his head.
"No," he said. "Just advice."
He turned and walked away, his group following without hesitation.
Kael watched them go, his grip tightening slightly around the metal plate in his hand.
"…I don't like him," he said.
Lyra didn't respond.
She didn't need to.