The weight of everything Cecilia had said did not leave Lucas as he stepped out of the bath, the warmth of the water fading quickly against the cold clarity that had taken hold of his mind, because now there was no longer just a mission of reconnaissance, there was a deadline, and it was dangerously close. A few days. That was all the time separating Sage Raph and Isabelle from execution, and every moment wasted would only tighten the noose around them. Still, he forced himself to remain disciplined, because rushing blindly into Valerion without understanding the situation would only lead to failure, and failure was not an option anymore.
