The crisp evening air was cool against Alex's skin as he stepped outside Thorin's house, the wooden door creaking closed behind him. He paused for a moment, gazing at the twilight sky painted in hues of orange and violet. With a sharp whistle, he summoned Nyxia.
The great owl's cry echoed through the street as she swooped down from the clouds, her sleek feathers glinting faintly in the fading sunlight. The powerful flaps of her wings stirred the air, catching the attention of nearby passersby.
Thorin trailed behind Alex, his footsteps heavy against the cobblestones. His face was etched with a mixture of skepticism and frustration.
Alex turned to face him, his movements deliberate and unhurried. From within his coat, he retrieved a small glass vial filled with a shimmering liquid that caught the last rays of daylight, casting refracted rainbows on the ground.