Wren woke in Vell's arms with her claws buried through his sleeve. Her rear legs remained loose beneath her, but the damaged core kept throwing dark pressure against his hands.
Yenna closed the workshop's street shutters before moving the repair tools onto the floor. Vell stopped her when she reached for the door bar, then pushed the entrance fully open.
The six repair clients had left two stabilizing anchors plus clean Grade-Two core dust behind. Vell arranged those materials in a broken circle, keeping its open side aligned with the street.
Nothing crossed that gap except a shallow line of dust Wren could disturb without resistance. The design cost them containment, but it made withdrawal possible during every stage.
"She stays free," he said, lowering Wren beside the nearest exit, "if the Forge needs a cage, we find another answer."
