The guards snapped instantly. "Intruder!"
One slammed the butt of his spear against the stone, sending lightning surging into the floor as they both stormed forward toward the fleeing illusion. Their mana surged, detection arts flaring wide to capture the false figure.
Max's lips curved in the faintest smile. "Hook, line, and sinker."
As they charged, the rune-gate behind them hissed, its defenses lowering for a heartbeat as the guards' aura control shifted outward. Max moved like a phantom, sliding between their shadows and the door, his invisibility wrapping around him like liquid night. With a single step he slipped inside, the gate closing silently behind him.
The projection fizzled out moments later, vanishing into harmless sparks, leaving the two guards growling in confusion outside.
"What was that?" one asked darkly.
"Could it be the runes etched onto the walls here?" The other said not sure.
