Varik didn't speak when he closed the reinforced door behind him.
He let the code cycle. Watched the three failsafe locks spin to neutral. The panel blinked green. Sealed.
Behind that door, Lucen was safe.
For now.
Varik stepped back into the dark hallway. Concrete and old pipe. Damp chill in the air. Soundless. No cameras down here. No systems.
He exhaled through his nose. Shoulders low. Fingers flexing once.
Then he walked.
Up the staircase. Two flights. Into the maintenance tunnel beneath the arcade.
The moment he reached the top, his system pinged. Not with warnings.
With awareness.
[Surrounding mana field: Stable]
[Arcane displacement: Present. Approximate radius: 300m]
[User status: Undetected]
[Combat authorization: Unlocked]
He didn't smile. He didn't need to.
Varik moved without hurry. Left the alley on foot. No weapon drawn. No cast active.
Didn't need one.
