Before Riley and Liyana's date began…
Just a few meters away—hidden in plain sight—a certain group of three girls watched them intently.
Snow, Rose, and Alice.
Their eyes were all locked on the same scene: Liyana clinging to Riley's arm with an almost ethereal smile on her face as the two walked out of the Mage's Association building.
They didn't need to speak to know they shared the same reaction.
Discomfort. Curiosity. And something sharp simmering beneath it all.
Thanks to a casual yet effective manipulation of reality by Cheshire, the trio remained unnoticed by both the couple and the surrounding crowd.
Their appearances were slightly altered—not enough to look like strangers, but just enough to slip past attention like shadows.
The familiar had cloaked them with subtle distortions, blending them into the world without drawing suspicion.
"...She's pretty," Rose mumbled aloud, unable to stop the words from slipping out as she stared at Liyana in the distance.
