Unlike Noah, Levy dropped his weapon without hesitation. The blade struck the hardwood with a sharp crack, burying itself upright.
"At least your friend's quick on the uptake," she said. "Your turn."
Just as Noah was about to let the spear go, she spoke again.
"And don't drop it, dingus. That's gonna make a lot more noise."
Noah cleared his throat. "I was totally not gonna do that."
"Yeah, right," she muttered under her breath.
Noah heard it.
"Whatever. Just hurry up and place it on the floor."
He did as she said, carefully lowering the spear until it rested silently against the hardwood.
"Now keep your hands where I can see them."
Both boys raised their hands. For a few seconds, the apartment fell silent once again as she considered what to do with them.
Her eyes moved between them, studying their bodies and the weapons they'd surrendered. At first glance, neither appeared to be bleeding or showing any signs of a bite, and neither seemed eager to make a move.
She glanced at Noah. He carried himself differently from the other one, seeming calmer despite the situation. She couldn't tell whether it was confidence or sheer stupidity.
She kept the bow drawn for another moment before finally lowering it to their chest.
"Alright. Turn around. Slowly."
Noah and Levy exchanged a glance before doing as they were told.
Noah turned first, and for the briefest moment, her expression faltered.
Her emerald-green eyes lingered on him, taking in his newly altered appearance before she caught herself and subtly tightened her grip on the bow as her composure returned.
Get a grip.
Noah finished the turn, his eyes settling on the young woman who was standing several feet in front of him.
A black scarf covered most of her face, leaving only her eyes visible as strands of vibrant red hair spilled past it. She wore a black zip-up jacket over a green top, paired with fitted black jeans. Despite the layers, she stood completely still, her posture betraying not a hint of hesitation.
Levy turned beside him, his eyes widening at the sight of her. A bow was drawn firmly in her hands, an arrow already nocked and aimed directly at his chest.
"Aren't you hot dressed in that?"
One emerald eye narrowed.
"I'm hot regardless. What's your point?"
Noah stared at her for a second. "...Fair enough."
Levy's head slowly turned toward Noah. "Hey bud, how about you save the questions for when the arrow is pointed at you?"
"What? I didn't ask anything crazy."
"Yeah, well tell that to—"
"You two done?"
Her eyes remained fixed on them, the corner of her mouth barely visible beneath the scarf.
Levy straightened his posture immediately.
"Done? I didn't even know I started." He smiled nervously.
Noah's gaze traveled over her for a moment before returning to the bow.
"I could've sworn I heard you in the living room," he said, thinking back. "How'd you manage to get behind us?"
Her answer came almost immediately.
"A trick I picked up from some Tibetan monks."
Levy perked up. "Wait, really?"
She tilted her head and stared at him. A beat passed.
"Oh." His shoulders sank. "You were being sarcastic."
Noah fought back a smile. He lost.
"Something funny, pretty boy?" She asked, aiming the arrow at him.
His smile fell as his breath hitched.
"No."
"Good."
She kept the bow trained on Noah for another moment before shifting her attention toward Levy.
"Names."
"Levy."
She looked back at Noah.
"Noah."
Levy spoke before the silence could settle.
"This is usually the part where you—" she trained the arrow back onto him, "—never mind."
Her eyes remained on him for another moment before she finally answered.
"Sage."
On cue, a familiar violet screen appeared before Noah. The only difference was that the objective had changed.
〔Main Quest Unlocked〕
〔The Red-Headed Archer〕
〔Objective: Convince Sage to join your team.
Reward: Unknown
Failure Penalty: Revert back to Level 1.
Time Left: 09:43:39〕
Noah stared at the reward for a moment
Still no definitive incentive, huh?
The screen vanished, and his attention returned to the woman standing before them.
Sage studied them both again, as though committing their faces to memory. "So why exactly are two armed strangers sneaking into my apartment?"
Noah glanced toward Levy before answering. "We heard a noise."
"So you broke into my place?"
"The door was unlocked."
"That doesn't make it better."
"I know."
Sage's eyes narrowed slightly. "You always this honest?"
"I try to be."
"Huh."
Levy looked between them. "Can we maybe stop arguing about the ethics of trespassing while there's an arrow still pointed at my chest?"
Sage's eyes shifted toward him.
"You have a point."
Levy smiled. "Thank—"
"Don't get excited."
His smile disappeared.
Sage lowered the bow another inch, though the arrow remained nocked. "You said you heard something?"
Noah nodded. "It sounded like a struggle."
Something in Sage's expression changed. She glanced toward the hallway behind her, then looked back at them. "You heard that too?"
"Yeah."
"Then you probably should've stayed in your apartment."
Noah's brow furrowed. "Why?"
For the first time since they'd met her, Sage hesitated. Noah's eyes flicked briefly toward Levy, and Levy's gaze met his for the briefest moment.
Neither moved. Whatever thought had crossed their minds, they quickly dismissed it. Her bow was still honed on Levy, and neither was interested in finding out how fast she could loose an arrow.
She studied them for another moment before finally lowering her bow. She didn't unstring it, however, keeping the arrow nocked as her grip remained firm around the weapon.
"I'm going out on a limb here," she said.
The duo immediately sighed. Their relief lasted all of half a second before Sage raised the bow again, moving it between Noah and Levy as she made her warning clear.
"So if either of you even thinks about getting one up on me..." Her eyes narrowed. "I'll put an arrow where your heart is."
Both boys raised their hands again.
"Capiche?"
They nodded profusely.
"Good."