The heavy thuds against the door grew louder, each strike shaking the wooden frame and sending splinters flying from the aging hinges. The city guard outside was relentless, determined to force his way into the room despite Layla's firm refusal.

"Open this door!" the guard bellowed, his voice a mix of anger and impatience.

Inside, Raziel stood ready, sword drawn, his expression cold and calculating. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with the anticipation of a fight. Mary Ann positioned herself by the wall nearest the door, her stance deceptively relaxed, though her sharp eyes darted between Layla and Raziel, awaiting orders.

Layla remained calm, her hands resting at her sides, but her fingers twitched slightly, betraying her readiness to act. Her dagger, concealed beneath her cloak, was within easy reach. She wasn't the type to start a fight without cause, but she was more than prepared to finish one.

"This is your last warning!" the guard shouted, punctuating his words with another heavy slam against the door. "Obstructing a city guard is a punishable offense. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

Layla glanced at Raziel, her lips curving into a wry smile. "He's persistent, I'll give him that."

Raziel snorted, his grip tightening on his blade. "Persistence doesn't excuse stupidity."

Layla turned her attention back to the door, her voice cutting through the chaos with a cold edge. "We've told you already—there's no suspicious activity here. You have no right to force your way into this room. Leave now, or you'll regret it."

The guard's response was immediate, another resounding crash against the door that caused the lock to creak ominously.

"I'm done playing games!" the guard yelled. "Step aside, or I'll—"

He never got to finish his threat.

Before the guard could ram the door again, Mary Ann moved with the swiftness of a predator. In one fluid motion, she unlocked the door, flung it open, and grabbed the guard by the front of his tunic. Her strength, hidden behind her diminutive frame, took him completely by surprise.

"What the—" the guard sputtered, his words cut off as Mary Ann yanked him into the room with a force that sent him stumbling forward.

"Enough," she said, her voice sharp and commanding.

The guard barely had time to recover his balance before Mary Ann struck. With a precise blow to the back of his neck, she sent him crumpling to the floor in an unconscious heap.

Raziel raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "You didn't even give him a chance to pull his weapon."

Mary Ann smirked, brushing her hands off as if dusting away the effort. "Why waste time? He was asking for it."

Layla crouched beside the guard's prone form, her expression unreadable as she checked his pulse. "He's alive," she said after a moment. "Though he'll probably have a nasty headache when he wakes up."

Raziel nodded. "Good. No need to make enemies out of the entire city guard—at least not yet."

As Raziel hoisted the unconscious guard over his shoulder, Layla leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed. The room, which had been a sanctuary of sorts, now felt strangely oppressive.

"Why do you think he was so insistent?" Mary Ann asked, frowning as she watched Raziel carry the guard toward the door.

"Could be a lot of reasons," Raziel replied, pausing just before stepping out. "Maybe he was acting on orders. Maybe he was just looking for trouble."

"Or," Layla added, her tone thoughtful, "maybe someone wanted to test us—to see how we'd react under pressure."

Mary Ann scowled. "If that's the case, we just passed their little test with flying colors."

Raziel grunted in agreement as he stepped into the hallway. He carried the guard a short distance away from their door before propping him up against the wall. With a final glance around to ensure they weren't being watched, he returned to the room and locked the door behind him.

The trio stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the confrontation settling over them. Though the immediate threat had been dealt with, the implications of the guard's intrusion lingered in the air like a storm cloud.

"We need to be more careful," Raziel said finally, his voice low and serious. "This city isn't as neutral as it pretends to be. Someone's watching us."

Layla nodded slowly, her gaze distant as she considered his words. "Agreed. But for now, we can't let paranoia dictate our actions. We'll keep our guard up and move forward as planned."

Mary Ann sighed, rubbing her temples. "Let's just hope the rest of the night is uneventful. I'd like at least a few hours of sleep before we deal with whatever comes next."

Layla smiled faintly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "We all would. But I have a feeling this isn't the last time we'll be tested."

With that, the trio settled back into their respective positions, their weapons close at hand. The room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the occasional creak of the inn's wooden frame.

Though they tried to rest, none of them could fully relax. The confrontation had left its mark, a stark reminder that danger could come knocking—literally—at any time.

The next morning brought with it a sense of cautious normalcy. The sunlight streaming through the cracks in the shutters seemed almost too bright, a stark contrast to the tension of the previous night. Layla, Mary Ann, and Raziel descended to the common room for breakfast, their expressions guarded as they surveyed the inn's patrons. The room was quieter than usual, with hushed whispers circulating among the tables. It didn't take long for someone to approach.

A stout merchant, his face lined with curiosity and suspicion, stopped Layla as she reached for a loaf of bread. "Quite the commotion last night," he said, his voice low but tinged with accusation. "Not every day a city guard comes banging on doors in the middle of the night. What exactly did you do to draw his attention?"

Layla froze for a fraction of a second, her calm demeanor returning almost instantly. She turned to the man with a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Nothing that concerns you," she replied smoothly.

The merchant huffed, clearly unsatisfied with her answer. "Word travels fast in places like this. Best watch your step, stranger. People don't take kindly to troublemakers."

Layla said nothing, but her sharp gaze made it clear she wasn't intimidated.