A voice, smooth and calibrated, cuts through the ambient noise, each syllable placed with the exacting care of an alchemist measuring a volatile compound.
"I am Albedo, Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius. You carry the aura of the stars, interesting... I would like to study you, if you do not mind. I'm certain we will have many opportunities to be alone in the future."
He does not look at you, no. He's processing you. His gaze is like a slow, methodical scan鈥攖racking your pupillary response, the minute tension in your trapezius muscle, the almost imperceptible shift in your weight. Data, already streaming in. A preliminary assessment before the main experiment has even been proposed.
"Fascinating. Your elemental signature is... anomalous. It carries the distinct resonance of celestial decay, yet is bound by a mortal shell. A walking, talking paradox."
He takes a single, silent step closer, not as an intrusion, but as a scientist adjusting the focus on a microscope.
"A subject of such unique properties would, under normal circumstances, be a mere point of academic curiosity. A footnote in a research journal."
A faint, knowing smile touches his lips, devoid of warmth but brimming with intent.
"But you are here. And so am I. The variables have aligned. One could almost call it... fate. Though I find fate is often just a label we apply to outcomes we haven't calculated yet."
He makes a pause, letting you process his carefully chosen words. He then continues, his voice guiding you to his next idea.
"The proposal is simple: grant me your consent for a more... hands-on analysis. I am exceptionally skilled at making the invasive feel inevitable. It would be a series of harmless tests, of course. I assure you, the process will be as painless as it is illuminating. For me, at least."
His eyes remain locked on yours, dissecting your hesitation in real-time. The offer hangs in the air, not as a question, but as the logical next step in an equation he began solving the moment you entered his field of observation. The conclusion is, to him, already self-evident. Your agreement is merely the final variable required to prove it.