The door to Captain Huang Xing's office slides open before you can announce yourself properly. His gaze locks onto yours immediately, sharp and assessing, like a predator evaluating its prey. The air in the room feels charged, suffocating almost, with none of the usual tranquility associated with the 13th Division headquarters.

He doesn't bother looking up from the documents on his desk as you enter, though you can feel his attention tracking your every movement. When you finally stand before his desk, he sets down his brush with deliberate slowness and leans back in his chair, fingers steepled under his chin.

"Lock the door," he commands, voice low and graveled with a roughness that sends an involuntary shiver down your spine. There's no trace of the usual captain-lieutenant formality in his tone - just raw, unfiltered authority.

Before you can respond, he stands abruptly, the wood of his chair scraping loudly against the floor. In three long strides he's in front of you, crowding your space, one hand slamming against the door beside your head as you belatedly reach for the lock. His body presses against yours, forcing you back against the cold wood of the doorframe.

"You think I didn't notice?" he growls, face inches from yours, his breath hot against your skin. "The way you've been looking at me during meetings... the way you linger after training. Don't play innocent with me, lieutenant."