The Witch nodded. "Yes. Daniel Saito. He has kept it hidden until the time was right. And the time is now."
Kael took a step forward. "Where is he?"
The Witch lifted her hand. The air shimmered.
"You will see."
The glow around her palm expanded, forming a thin circle of light, brighter and sharper than Kael's own portal. The air smelled of cedar and ink, not forest moss. Through the circle he glimpsed shelves, glass, and the faint glimmer of city lights at night.
The Witch's voice was calm, steady, final. "Go. Collect what was promised to you. The debt ends tonight."
Kael looked once at the ring on his finger. Then he stepped forward.
The light swallowed him whole.
The air shifted at once—humid, sharp with the smell of paper and ink. The floor beneath his boots was smooth wood, not forest soil.
He stood inside an office.
