When the two of them reached the Magic Development Bureau, their footsteps grew lighter as they carefully approached the massive structure.
Standing at the base of the crescent-shaped building, Noah glanced left and right, quickly scanning the ground-level houses. None of them were suitable entry points. After a brief pause, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a pair of sleek black gloves and matching shoe covers.
Once he slipped them on, Noah pressed his palms against the cold wall, followed by his feet. With effortless precision, he began scaling the smooth surface, moving upward like a gecko clinging to stone.
Higher up, Noah checked several windows in turn, peering cautiously inside. Most of the rooms were occupied, light flickering through the cracks of the curtains. He continued searching until he finally located a room that appeared empty.
Carefully, he edged over to the window. A subtle glow of magic pulsed at his fingertips as he lifted the glass pane free without a sound and tucked it neatly into his arms. Then, from within his coat, he withdrew a coiled rope and lowered it silently down the wall.
Uru spotted the rope immediately. She grabbed hold with both hands and began climbing, her body tense but steady. By the time she neared the top, she realized Noah was holding the rope's upper end with only one hand, his grip firm and unshakable.
How strong was he, exactly?
Noah gave a small lift of his right hand, pulling the rope closer to the window. Understanding the cue, Uru climbed higher and slipped gracefully inside the room.
Once she was safe, Noah retrieved the rope, slid inside after her, carefully reattached the glass pane to the window frame, and then dropped lightly to the floor without a sound.
The room they had entered was decorated in a surprisingly childish fashion. Toys were scattered about, and a large bed with bright covers suggested it belonged to a child.
As Noah adjusted his footing, Uru circled around him with her arms folded, studying him.
"What are you doing with all this stuff?" she finally asked.
Noah smirked faintly and rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a small stack of shimmering magic cards.
"These are all tools I prepared. Some of them I crafted myself, the rest I bought in the marketplace. I didn't have as much time as I wanted, so the things I made are limited. I had to fill the gaps with whatever I could purchase."
Uru eyed the stack of cards, realizing there were far more items stored inside than she'd guessed. She didn't press further, instead shifting the topic.
"Fine then… where do we go next?"
"First, the data room," Noah replied without hesitation. "We'll collect everything we can find and copy the records. That way, we'll have solid evidence."
Uru tilted her head curiously. "Wait. You're speaking like you already know your way around here. Don't tell me… you've been inside before?"
"No," Noah answered, shaking his head. "But I conducted a detailed investigation. I even acquired the architectural schematics. When I first learned this was where new magic was being developed, I was fascinated. Someday, I wanted to come here myself just to learn.
"But usually, places that deal in research and innovation also hide secrets… dark ones. So I figured it was best to prepare properly. And, well… now you see how useful that preparation has become."
Hearing this, Uru didn't quite know how to respond. But knowing that her partner was someone who planned so thoroughly gave her a deep sense of reassurance.
Noah then tapped his glasses lightly. "By the way, the lenses you're wearing do more than let us see each other. They also allow close-range encrypted communication. Just feed them a little magic power, and you'll figure it out."
Uru tested the feature quickly and managed to get it working without difficulty. "Handy," she murmured.
"Shall we move?" she asked.
Noah nodded with quiet determination. "Yes. Let's uncover the shadows this place is hiding."
Casting one last detection spell, Noah confirmed the hallway outside was empty. He opened the door, and together, he and Uru slipped silently into the depths of the Magic Development Bureau.
The dark green floor of the corridor was patterned with circles of varying sizes, glowing faintly beneath the dim light. The walls were tiled with white squares, and narrow strips of illumination were embedded into the surface, casting a cold glow that made the entire passageway feel sterile.
Noah glanced around carefully, found his bearings, and led Uru forward.
Thanks to the layers of concealment and preparation he had made beforehand, the guards and researchers they passed paid no attention at all. Invisible and unheard, the two moved swiftly through the twisting corridors until they reached a door marked: "Information Room."
Noah crouched by the lock, pulling out a set of slim, metallic tools. Within moments, the door clicked open. Before entering, he pressed a thin enchanted slip onto the frame.
Uru raised an eyebrow. "What did you just put there?"
"It'll monitor the area outside," Noah explained softly. "If anyone comes close, we'll know before they get inside."
Inside, rows of shelves towered from wall to wall, each one stuffed with binders and documents. Noah pulled down a folder, flipped it open and his expression darkened.
Cruel experiments, horrific notes, and inhumane procedures were all recorded in cold detail. The words were blunt, without shame or censorship. Noah felt his stomach twist. Whoever worked here… they had long abandoned any trace of humanity.
Beside him, Uru's hands trembled, her magic power flaring violently in rage. "Those monsters…"
"Calm!" Noah hissed sharply, reinforcing their concealment with a burst of magic. His voice cut through her anger, snapping her back to focus.
She clenched her fists, forcing herself to suppress the rising fury. Only when her aura finally steadied did Noah nod and begin his work.
He layered concealment spells around the room, then drew several rune-inscribed boxes from his pouch. A magic glow flared as he activated them, and instantly the shelves began to copy themselves records and documents materializing into Noah's special storage cards with rapid precision. Within minutes, stacks of files that should have taken days to sort were secured.
Uru hovered nearby, restless but unsure how to help.
"Be on guard," Noah told her without looking up. "If anyone finds us, you'll need to hold them off."
That gave her direction. She straightened her posture, senses sharpened, ready for a fight at any second.
But luck or rather, Noah's meticulous preparation was on their side. No one disturbed them until the last record was copied.
After one final sweep to ensure nothing had been overlooked, Noah checked the corridor through his surveillance slip. Clear. He peeled it away, and together they slipped back out.
"Next, we keep moving. Every room that might hold data gets checked." His voice rang softly in Uru's mind through the enchanted glasses. She nodded once in reply.
Guided by the architectural diagrams he had studied, they pressed deeper. Room after room was examined, copied, and marked. If a lab was occupied, they skipped it for later. If empty, Noah would disarm hidden magical wards, often cloaked in plain sight, before recording everything inside.
In some labs, experiments were still running painful to even look at. Noah quietly captured images and video as evidence, his jaw tightening each time.
More than once, footsteps came too close, voices passing just outside. Each time, Uru braced herself to fight, heart pounding, but Noah's layers of misdirection spells always carried them safely through.
She realized then it wasn't luck. This boy had accounted for almost everything. With his preparation, chance had little room to interfere.
Finally, they reached the director's office. It was empty. Neat stacks of files covered the desk, untouched. Director Brian was nowhere to be found; they hadn't seen him in the labs either.
Noah swiftly copied the records, then retraced their path back to the room they had entered from. The window was still untouched.
He lowered the rope for Uru, who descended first. Noah followed, carefully reinstalling the glass pane before climbing down to join her.
Only when the looming crescent-shaped building was nearly out of sight did Noah finally cancel their concealments. The spell layers unraveled with a faint shimmer.
Uru glanced at him and froze. His complexion had gone pale, his body trembling ever so slightly from magical exhaustion. Her stern gaze softened with sudden concern.
...
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