Zara strode hurriedly through the wall's corridors, her heart pounding with growing concern. Flare, her loyal salamander, clung tightly to her shoulder, its scales shimmering with a nervous energy that mirrored its owner's anxiety.
She had asked Elio to teach her about level 4. True, she could have gotten that information from Lucien or Selene, but... the idea of spending time alone with Elio, of seeing that sparkle in his eyes that appeared whenever he talked about new discoveries, was too tempting to resist.
But she had waited too long.
Determined to convince him today, she had set out to find him after helping with the distribution of cores to new recruits. After searching for hours without results, she found Selene and decided to ask if she had seen him.
Selene's words echoed in her mind, each repetition amplifying her worry.