After stepping out of the shop, the woman glanced back once, eyes lingering on the door as it shut behind her.
She didn't say anything.
And it wasn't something she could ignore.
She climbed the narrow stairs back to her apartment in the lower-town district, her thoughts lingering on the tomatoes.
It was a day off from teaching, a rare holiday, but she wasn't out to relax.
She had one goal today: to find something that could help her focus better while learning new spells.
As a fire mage stuck at the Adept level, she knew her potential had limits. She couldn't level up anymore, but she could still expand her spell list. Lately, she'd been working on a mid-range fire spell, something to reinforce her basics and stay useful as a teacher.
But her concentration had been slipping more than usual. Every time she sat down to practice, her mind would wander halfway through the casting pattern.
What she needed was something to help her stay sharp.
