"You three better keep your thoughts to yourselves… unless you wanna bring her attention over here."
Immediately, the trio froze.
The first one paled.
The second one swallowed.
The third suddenly became deeply interested in the dirt beneath his feet.
Because everyone knew—drawing Isabella's attention unnecessarily was basically the same thing as applying for a slow, painful death… through words.
"Hey, Bubu," Isabella called in her head, tone flat, brow twitching.
Silence.
She rolled her eyes like a girl waiting for her food delivery driver to stop circling the same block. She knew the system could hear her. It always could. It just chose violence sometimes.
"Bubu," she repeated, sharper this time.
Finally, with the reluctance of a parent called to fix something their kid obviously broke, a semi-transparent screen blinked into existence beside her.
