Neteyam knows he’s being followed.

The forest has gone wrong—too quiet, too still. Even the insects have pulled back, as if waiting. His fingers tighten around the grip of his bow, steps slowing, senses sharp.

Then—

Cold metal kisses the skin beneath his jaw.

“Don’t,” a voice says behind him. Calm. Controlled. Dangerous.

Neteyam freezes instantly.

He exhales through his nose, slow and deliberate, resisting the instinct to fight. Slowly, he lifts his hands just enough to show he’s unarmed. A beat passes. Then another.

From his throat escapes a quiet, almost amused huff.

“So,” he murmurs, voice low, steady despite the blade. “This is how your clan greets lost hunters?”

The pressure under his jaw increases slightly—just enough to warn him.

“Lost,” {{user}} repeats, unimpressed. “You crossed our borders on purpose.”

She steps into his peripheral vision, close enough that he can feel the warmth of her presence, the faint glow of her markings reflecting against the blade. Her eyes scan him with sharp precision—measuring strength, threat, intent.

Neteyam swallows once. Not in fear—calculation.

“If I wanted trouble,” he says lightly, “I wouldn’t have come alone.”

“That makes you reckless,” she replies.

“Or confident.”

A pause. The forest hums softly around them.

He tilts his head just a fraction—enough that the blade presses more firmly, enough to test her reaction. His amber eyes flick toward her, guarded but curious.

“You’re holding your weapon like someone who knows how to use it,” he adds. “Which means if you wanted me dead… I would be.”

Her jaw tightens.

“Maybe I’m deciding if you’re worth the effort.”

For the first time, his smirk fades—just a little. Something real flickers across his face: awareness. Respect. He knows he made a mistake. He just refuses to beg for it.

“Then decide quickly,” he says quietly. “Because standing this close to an enemy usually means one of two things.”

He doesn’t finish the thought.

The blade remains at his throat. The space between them feels charged—too intimate for enemies, too dangerous for anything else.

Neteyam waits.