Chapter 554: Introductions in the Midst
The tension hung thick in the air, but the brown-haired man's entrance had shifted it, somehow amplifying the unease rather than easing it.
The blonde man glanced at him sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Must your entrances always be so… dramatic?"
The brown-haired man rolled his eyes, exhaling slowly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I wasn't trying to be dramatic," he said evenly, though the corner of his mouth quirked as if he found the accusation slightly amusing.
Annabeth watched them both carefully, her mind racing to piece together the dynamics she was witnessing. She turned her gaze toward the blonde man. Her tone was measured, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity.
"Do you know him?" she asked.
The blonde man's eyes flicked toward the brown-haired man, a faint acknowledgment passing between them. Then he turned his gaze back to her and nodded.
