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There were three of them, lurking by a closed door further up the alley.
Rodin’s weariness was gone in an instant.
He could turn around and walk away. But if they were waiting for him, they would follow. He didn’t want them at his back. He needed to keep them where he could see them.
He walked closer, keeping them in his periphery but otherwise ignoring them.
They were not ignoring him. They glanced towards him, then looked away. As they saw Rodin approached, their stance changed. Nothing too obvious, but Rodin could see it. They were preparing.
Rodin was walking into a trap. He could already hear movement from behind.
wasHis hand automatically moved towards part of his jacket, ready to grab a blade if—when—the situation demanded it. He kept his head straight, but che
