"I want to face all of them… there's a personal score I need to settle with her and her brother for laying their hands on my mother."
The words fell calmly, almost casually, but the moment Nox finished speaking, the atmosphere shifted.
It was not dramatic in an obvious way. There was no explosion of power, no sudden shockwave tearing through the streets. Instead, it was subtle and oppressive, like the air itself had thickened. The gang members surrounding them felt it first. Their breathing grew heavier, their grips on their weapons tightened without them even realizing it. A faint layer of frost began creeping along the cracked stone ground beneath their feet, spreading outward.
Serene noticed it as well but remained calm. In fact, if one looked closely at her face, they would notice a provocative smile.
"So she was your mother," Serene said.
