The boys surrounding Ivor turned sharply at the sound of the impact. Their heads snapped toward the one who had been thrown into the tree, watching as his body slid down the trunk and collapsed onto the ground. For a brief moment, none of them moved.
Then their attention shifted.
Their eyes settled on Luna, who stood calmly between them and Ivor, her posture low and balanced, her amber eyes fixed on them without hesitation.
And then they saw Nara.
He walked forward slowly, a dagger resting loosely in his hand, his expression calm but his gaze steady. There was no urgency in his movement, no sign of doubt. He stopped just outside the circle they had formed.
Recognition spread instantly.
"Nara."
Every one of them knew him.
"It has nothing to do with you," one of the boys said, his voice tight with warning. "Stay out of it."
Nara tilted his head slightly, as if considering the words.
