Knock. Knock.
Soren knocked on the door out of formality, and a gentle voice echoed from inside. "Come in."
He gestured to Ryan with his eyes, opened the door, and entered first. Ryan followed after him, and his eyes landed on the figure sitting behind the mahogany desk.
'Hmm...'
At first glance, she seemed harmless, almost unassuming as she leaned over her paperwork. Yet Ryan's instincts immediately screamed otherwise. Every fiber of his gut told him she was like a sleeping predator, concealing her true depth beneath a calm facade.
"..."
Just then, she raised her head, and their gazes met. And in that single instant, he felt exposed, as if she were peeling back his layers and looking right through him. Before he could process the sensation, a crushing force bore down on his shoulders without a warning. The pressure hit him like an anvil, threatening to collapse his legs and force him to his knees.
