I stood outside the Citadel Master chamber the next morning, my legs still complaining about yesterday. Every muscle fiber from my calves to my lower back seemed to be staging a rebellion against movement, but the questions burning in my mind wouldn't let me rest. Something had fundamentally changed when my agility hit 10, and I needed to understand why.
I knocked on the heavy obsidian door.
"Enter." Damian's voice carried through the thick material like it had physical weight.
I pushed the door open to find him sitting at his desk, surrounded by ancient texts and maps of what looked like Argent's outer territories. His white hair caught the room's soft light, creating a halo effect that somehow made him appear both wise and dangerous simultaneously.
"Ah, Allaran." He looked up from his work, his expression revealing nothing. "I expected you this morning."
Of course he did. Nothing seemed to surprise the Citadel Master.
