Still strange…
There was no hostility. That much was clear. Leonard's mana wasn't invasive. It didn't carry the weight of control or coercion. No spells were being prepared. No bindings, no reading glyphs. Just threads—delicate, ambient feelers that brushed and observed like wind passing through leaves.
But still…
Astron didn't trust it.
He's going too far.
This wasn't idle curiosity. Leonard wasn't just measuring combat capability or confirming what he already knew about Sylvie's teammates. He was conducting a full-scale, real-time assessment using sensory mana at a level so refined, it made most trained scouts look clumsy.
And when one of those threads reached him?
Astron felt it instantly.
A soft brush against the edge of his shoulder. Barely there. It didn't press inward. Didn't try to enter his body's natural flow. But the intent was obvious.
Leonard was testing.
Trying to prompt a reaction.
A mana reflex. A defensive ripple. Anything that could be used as a read.
