{Melisa}
"Again."
Melisa closed her eyes, reaching out with her awareness. The cottage's common area faded away, replaced by the soft pulse of essence signatures scattered throughout Foxhollow.
Two kitsune walked past the cottage. Their signatures burned bright—warm, playful, distinctly feminine. Sisters, maybe. Their essences resonated in similar patterns, like two instruments playing the same melody in different keys.
"Two kitsune. Related, I think. Walking east."
"Good. Now tell me which one is older."
Melisa focused harder. The signatures were so similar. Both had that characteristic kitsune brightness, that crackling energy that marked their kind. But the details blurred together, refusing to separate into distinct identities.
"I... can't tell."
