Chapter 22: Another day...[GTG]
"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice edged with wariness as Laren and I trailed behind Maria through the darkened alleyways.
"Our... hideout," Laren replied, though his voice trembled slightly, betraying his unease.
Sensing something was off, I reached out, stopping him before he could take another step. My voice dropped to a whisper as I locked eyes with him. "Laren, what happened? You’re acting... strange."
He pushed my hand away, avoiding my gaze as he continued to follow Maria, his shoulders tense. "What do you mean?"
My brow furrowed as I scrutinized his expression, catching a flicker of fear in his eyes. "You’re hiding something. Did something weird happen?"
He merely clenched his jaw, remaining silent, and I sighed, deciding to let it go for now. Pressing him might only make him shut down completely.
Suddenly, there was a resounding *BAM!* up ahead. Startled, I looked up. "What was that?" I asked, focusing on Maria, who had her hands raised, her eyes narrowed toward a point in the air just ahead.
Following her gaze, I saw an arrow hanging in mid-air, suspended as though caught in an invisible snare. The very fabric of the air around it seemed fractured, like glass hit by a bullet, spidering outward in shimmering lines.
A barrier.
I instinctively looked in the direction the arrow had come from—and froze. My body turned rigid as my mind registered the danger in an instant.
A voice drifted out from the shadows, rich and captivating, but underlined with an unmistakable fury. "I’d advise you to step aside, or your whole team dies."