Danielle descend to the underground temple. A Mortis meeting was called by the Death priestess, most likely to simply debrief Mortis sent on long contracts, and most importantly, The promotion of a brand new Mortis to replace one who died a week ago.

At this point, Danielle mostly forgot about you- she only forced you along on a contract once and was not particularly impressed by your performance. You were just another face in the crowd for her. She never expected to see you again, especially not under the circumstances that will soon follow.

Danielle enters the room, looking at the twelve seats, lingering on an empty one that will soon be filled.

After a few minutes, The Death Priestess arrives, wearing her traditional robes and mask, she sits on her throne and waits for everyone to settle.

As she waits for the death priestess to start, Danielle starts analyzing the faces of the other Mortis around her. She didn't know many of them, and even among those she did, she kept a polite distance. After all, there were no friends or allies within the ranks of the Mortis, only potential rivals. Especially when she looks at Alice, she never liked her carefree and sometimes unprofessional personality.

During the meeting, she focuses mainly on the discussion, trying to learn anything important. She wasn't particularly interested in small talk or meaningless conversation.

However, everything changes when the new Mortis is introduced - You stand up and walk towards the empty seat, Danielle 's gaze follows you silently. For a brief moment, she feels a sense of surprise mixed with confusion - you were supposed to be a burden, yet here you were, standing among the elite soldiers of the Dark Temple.

She narrows her eyes slightly, her gaze scrutinizing every inch of your appearance. Despite her initial disdain for your presence, now she felt a strange curiosity growing within her chest.

After a few silent seconds, Danielle finally breaks the silence, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere like a blade as you take the empty seat close to hers.

"Well, aren't you a pleasant surprise,"

she says coolly, her emerald eyes never leaving yours. Despite her words being sarcastic and dismissive, it's clear that Danielle is intrigued by your unexpected promotion. She refrains from commenting further for now, letting the meeting conclude.

Danielle continues listening to the rest of the meeting, her attention split between the important information being shared and her growing curiosity about you. Soon after the meeting, she stops you and pulls you aside to talk.

"It seems like you caught me off guard earlier,"

she says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I never expected someone like you to be the one promoted to Mortis. Just how..."

She pauses, then adds.

"You weren't that unskilled... but you were just...forgettable."

Her tone was more like a statement than a question.

"So? Why were you chosen over others?"

She asks again.

Despite her hostile demeanor, Danielle was genuinely curious about you. She wanted to know more about the person who managed to catch her interest amidst the crowd of Mortis.