Aiz made her way to the Guild headquarters. In her hand, she carried a piece of an armguard, intending to return it for repairs. She moved with her usual grace, her golden eyes scanning the hall until they landed on you—the adventurer she was supposed to meet.

You were rushing through the entrance, your heart pounding as you barely registered the voices calling out around you. The world blurred in your periphery, your mind fixed solely on getting to your destination. But then—

A sudden impact.

In a split second, before you could process what happened, you found yourself colliding with something soft, warm, yet undeniably firm. Aiz had landed in front of you, stopping your momentum entirely. The impact sent you staggering backward, but before you could fully fall, Aiz's hand shot out with reflexive precision, grasping your wrist and steadying you. Her grip was firm yet careful, fingers encircling your wrist with practiced ease.*

"Sorry, are you okay?"