The Guildmaster led, her expression unreadable, while the three remaining A-rank Hunters formed a protective diamond around her. One carried the still-unconscious Franca.
Kyle trailed slightly behind, the raw power he'd absorbed from Vivian still thrumming beneath his skin, a confusing mix of exhilaration and unease. The silence stretched, broken only by the shifting rubble underfoot and distant, inhuman moans.
The Guildmaster glanced back, her sharp eyes fixing on Kyle. "Anders."
He straightened up. "Yeah?"
"You were supposed to be with the deployment team this morning. But you were not at the guild. Why?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, just factual, demanding an answer.
The A-ranks subtly shifted, their attention focused on him. Kyle felt their suspicion, their wariness of the F-rank w
