"We haven't detected any other movement," Jean reported, still a little surprised that Adrian had already reached that conclusion from a single report.
She rubbed her temples and admitted, "Honestly, we didn't search the surrounding area carefully. Everyone was too focused on tracking the ancient being beneath us."
Adrian nodded slightly. "That's understandable."
He gestured for Annabelle, who quietly fetched a rolled-up map from the cupboard to the left. Everyone gathered around the table in Adrian's office inside the villa. Ariana had claimed his chair, while Adrian stood beside her, hands resting on the table's edge as the map spread open before them.
He studied it closely, eyes tracing the markings. "If the Academy is the center point," he murmured, "then the capital lies to the east, and the Tower to the west. No wonder we couldn't sense anything strange—the distance alone would mask the creature's presence."
