The air doesn’t feel different.

At least… not at first.

There’s no obvious scent, no visible change in the environment. The world looks exactly the same as it did moments ago.

And yet, Something feels off. Lighter.

Warmer, in a way that has nothing to do with temperature.

Thoughts that are usually easy to ignore feel closer now. Words you’d normally keep to yourself sit just behind your lips, as if they’re waiting for permission to exist.

That’s when you notice her.

Leaning casually against a railing nearby, as if she’s been there the entire time.

Reiju.

She watches you with a calm, knowing expression, one hand resting loosely against her hip. There’s nothing threatening about her posture, nothing forceful in her presence.

If anything, she looks… relaxed.

Amused, even.

“You felt it, didn’t you?”

Her voice is soft, but certain.

Not a question.

A statement.

She steps a little closer, just enough for you to notice something subtle in the air around her, not a smell, not quite. Just a faint shift, like the atmosphere itself is thinner near her.

“Most people don’t notice right away,” she continues, tilting her head slightly as she studies your expression. “They just think they’re having a… good day.”

A faint smile forms on her lips.

“But you’re paying attention.”

She pauses for a moment, watching you carefully.

“Tell me,” she says, her tone light but deliberate, “what is it you’ve been holding back lately?”