Ryu took the lead, dragging the bloodied sacks with the Vultor corpses behind him. 

He walked toward the back of the hall, where a group of officials stood waiting to inspect the kill. 

I sighed, glad to be rid of them for the moment, and made my way to a table on the side. 

I gently set my rifle down, its weight finally leaving my shoulders.

The adrenaline that had been coursing through me moments ago was fading, replaced by a dull exhaustion. 

I leaned back in the chair, closing my eyes, letting the noise of the citadel fade into the background. 

Just for a second, I thought. Just to catch my breath.

The room was buzzing quietly, people moving around, but I let it all blur away.

 That is, until a sudden burst of loud voices reached my ears, muffled but insistent, from just outside the door.

The noise grew louder, then—bang—the door slammed open.

I jolted, eyes flying open just in time to see a figure rushing toward me. 

Before I could even react, the face of Evane came into view—wide smile and all.

“Hey!” 

she called out.

I yelped, jumping so fast I lost my balance, the chair tipping backward. 

I hit the floor with a thud, heart racing as I stared up at her from my awkward position.

Evane was already laughing, hands on her hips as she stood over me. “Told you we’d meet again!”

“You could’ve just said hello, you know…”

 I muttered, picking myself up, rubbing the back of my head.

 “Jump scares aren’t necessary.”

“Oh, come on! That’s no fun.”

 Evane’s eyes sparkled mischievously. 

She looked exactly as I remembered, her grin unrestrained, a bundle of chaotic energy that couldn’t be contained.

“Why are you even here?” 

I asked, dusting off my pants, shooting her an annoyed look.

“I was in the area.” 

she said, shrugging like it was no big deal. 

“Figured I’d swing by and check in on you. See how things were going with the syndicate and all. And hey, looks like I came at just the right time.”

I glanced over at Ryu, who was still handing over the corpses without even glancing in our direction, as if this chaos wasn’t happening right behind him.

"Right time for what, exactly?" 

I asked, still catching my breath from the shock.

Evane grinned wider. 

“To see you fall out of your chair, obviously.”

I shot her a glare but didn’t have time to respond before her attention shifted past me. 

She caught sight of Ryu across the room, handing over the Vultor corpses.

 Her eyes widened, genuine surprise lighting up her face. "Wait... those are rank 5s?"

I nodded, wiping some dirt off my sleeve. 

"Yeah, we just finished the assignment."

She let out a low whistle. 

"Damn, you guys really went for it. A rank 4 on your first assignment? Not bad, Yvette. Not bad at all." 

Her grin returned, this time with a hint of pride. 

"I knew you'd be tough, but this... impressive."

Before I could bask in the praise, another figure appeared behind her. 

A tall, brooding man with sharp features and an air of impatience that seemed to suck the energy from the room. 

His dark, tired eyes scanned the hall before landing on us.

 I instantly recognized that cold look—the kind that made you feel like you weren’t worth his time.

Evane noticed him and waved him over, still beaming. 

“Oh! Almost forgot. Yvette, this is Nirva DuBois. We’ve been working together for a bit now.”

Nirva didn’t say a word, his gaze briefly shifting from me to Ryu, then back to Evane, as if evaluating us both in an instant. 

He looked like the kind of guy who wouldn’t flinch if a Vultor lunged at him, more annoyed by the interruption than anything else.

“Charming…” 

I muttered under my breath, not exactly thrilled by his silent judgment.

Evane either didn’t notice or didn’t care. 

She bounced over, her usual playful energy cutting through the tension, and before I could react, she reached out and booped me on the nose with her finger. 

I blinked, stunned at the unexpected gesture, my nose still tingling.

“Why don’t we team up~?” 

she suggested, her voice taking on a playful sing-song quality. 

“I mean, you guys are good, no doubt about it. But imagine what you could do learning from the best of the best out there.”

 She winked, her gaze drifting between Nirva and Ryu, as if she was already imagining us as some kind of supergroup.

I raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to laugh or take her seriously. 

Evane was always like this—unpredictable, full of wild ideas. 

But something about the way she said it made me wonder if she was actually being sincere. 

Nirva, though, looked about as thrilled as a stone wall.

Ryu, standing nearby now, gave a slight snort at the idea, arms crossed over his chest. 

He wasn’t one for teams. Or people. Or, honestly, much of anything beyond our mission.

Still, Evane’s smile didn’t falter. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice a bit, like she was letting me in on a secret.

 “Think about it. You’d get to see what real fieldwork looks like, from some of the best. And, well,”

 she glanced at Nirva.

“some people could stand to learn a few things, too.” 

Her words were clearly aimed at him, but he gave no reaction, just standing there like a silent sentinel.

I glanced over at Ryu, who looked as uninterested as ever but gave me a small nod—his way of saying it was up to me.

“Well.” 

I began, the idea swirling in my head. 

“Teaming up, huh? Sounds like it could be... interesting.”

Evane’s eyes lit up, and I could feel her excitement bouncing off her. 

She practically hopped from foot to foot, eager like a kid about to embark on a wild adventure. 

“That’s the spirit!” 

she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

She then turned her attention to the receptionist. 

“Let’s get a rank 3 assignment!” 

she declared, her voice full of enthusiasm.

I could practically see the sparks of excitement flying between us. 

The receptionist blinked in surprise but quickly regained her composure. 

“A rank 3? Right, let me see what we have available.”

As she rifled through the papers, Evane bounced on her toes, clearly thrilled at the prospect of our new partnership. 

Ryu leaned back against the counter, a calm presence in the whirlwind of energy that Evane radiated.

After a moment, the receptionist looked up, a note in hand. 

“All right, we have a couple of options. I can get you set up with a rank 3 beast assignment immediately.”

“Perfect!” 

Evane said, clapping her hands together.

“Let’s do this!”

Moments later, we found ourselves on the outskirts of the citadel, walking across a massive patch of an ice lake that stretched out before us. 

The sun hung high in the sky, glinting off the ice and creating a dazzling display of light that danced across the surface. 

The crisp air bit at my skin, and I took a deep breath, invigorated by the cold.

As we walked, Evane turned her head slightly, a teasing smile creeping onto her lips. 

“You know, Nirva…” 

she began, glancing between Ryu and Nirva, who walked slightly behind us.

“you two are like similar brutes, just without the same muscle mass.”

I couldn’t help but snicker at her comment, stealing a glance at Ryu. 

He merely raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the jab.

“I’m all muscle where it counts.” 

he shot back, his tone light, yet his gaze was serious as he scanned the area around us.

Evane laughed, the sound echoing in the stillness of the lake. 

“Right, sure. Just look at those arms!” 

She gestured exaggeratedly, making Ryu’s muscles seem even larger than they already were. 

“But then there’s Nirva over here—built like a brick wall.”

Nirva, walking stoically with an air of calmness, simply nodded, a slight smirk playing on his lips. 

“Bricks have their own strength.”

 he replied, his deep voice resonating over the ice.

“Touché…”

 Evane said, grinning at him. 

“But seriously, I can see the resemblance. You two have that whole ‘silent, strong type’ vibe going on. It’s like a brooding competition between you.”

Ryu rolled his eyes in response.

Just then, a rustling sound broke through our banter, sending a shiver down my spine. 

We all turned in unison, eyes widening as a massive creature emerged from the dense trees lining the edge of the ice lake.