A soft chime sounded from the study door, two tones spaced just far enough apart to signal a shadow. The manor's security system registered the code first, an ether-thin ripple in the air that Gregoris felt more than heard.
Gregoris didn't even look up from Rafael.
"Enter," he said.
The door opened without a creak, the hinges too expensive and too well maintained for drama, and Norman stepped inside like he had been built out of caution.
He was dressed the way Shadows dressed, in a dark suit infused with ether wards in the seams. His hair was cut short. His eyes were alert in a way that never switched off. A small earpiece sat flush against his skin, almost invisible.
He stopped the moment he registered Rafael.
Not because Rafael was dangerous. Because Rafael was… present. Because there were lines people didn't cross in the orbit of a commander's private life unless invited.
Norman's gaze flicked to Gregoris, a silent question.
"I have a report," Norman said carefully.
