The tension that still vibrated in the air didn't completely disappear when the laughter ceased; it merely changed form, condensing into something more focused, more directed, like an invisible blade hovering between the two.
The overwhelming aura that had previously threatened to destroy the entire hall now seemed receded enough to allow reality to breathe again, yet it still remained there, latent, like a predator that had decided to observe before attacking.
On the other side of the translucent fabric, Rakshasa's silhouette remained motionless for a few moments, as if recalibrating something within herself, reorganizing thoughts that, until then, had always seemed to be under complete control.
"You are… brave," she finally said, her voice lower now, but still laden with a presence that filled every inch of that space.
It wasn't an empty compliment, nor a direct provocation; there was an analysis there, a conclusion that seemed to have been reached after careful observation.
