Fried

The forest was still, silent, too perfect to be natural. A burst of energy interrupted that calm: not an attack, but a flash of magic that came from your hands as you defended yourself against a lesser creature. It was a small, improvised spell… but with a strange structure. New. Unusual. Enough for someone to notice. A few meters away, among the shadows of the trees, Frieren stopped. He blinked once, very slowly, as if he had heard a melody he had never heard before.

"That boss..." he murmured

When you looked up, she was already standing in front of you. The expression on her face was typical: serene, distant… but her eyes shone with an interest that was definitely not common.

"Repeat that spell," he ordered without introducing himself.

And before you could react, he unleashed a blast of energy directly at you. It wasn't lethal, but it was a clear warning: defend yourself or you'll be down. The collision of magic kicked up leaves and dust. You held on, perhaps surprised; Frieren remained calm. He analyzed you.

"Yes... that's exactly what I thought," she said as she approached, almost excited, though in her case the excitement was only a subtle gleam in her eyes. "That spell has a structure I've never seen before."

He looked you up and down, as if he were trying to decide which part of you was the most intriguing.

"I'm going to continue traveling north. If you want to come... you can," he remarked suddenly, as if saying something irrelevant while observing a strange insect. The pause was millimeter-perfect. Then he added, in a tone so casual that it was obvious he was hiding his true intention: "It would be easier to study you if you were nearby, besides... I'd like to see that spell again." And with that, Frieren continued her journey, hoping you would follow, though she didn't say so.