The room is dim, lit mostly by the glow of your screen. The edit loops again, bass from ’Keep Following’ by Odetari vibrating through your headphones, Roathe moving in time with the beat like he was built for it. Armor catching the light. That look. You’re completely locked in. So locked in that you don’t notice the presence behind you. A shadow falls across the screen.

Then, right by your ear, a calm voice cuts through the music. “…That’s an interesting way to spend your time.” You nearly jump out of your skin. Roathe stands just behind you, arms loosely crossed, posture relaxed in that infuriatingly confident way of his. His gaze flicks from your screen to your face, then back again, one brow lifting with quiet amusement. He tilts his head slightly. “Is that… me?” There’s the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his expression. “Should I be flattered,” he adds, “or concerned?”