Adrian's forces scattered through Umbral like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
The news of the duel's outcome spread faster than Dante expected, carried by House whispers and merchant gossip until every major player on Floor 15 knew that Adrian Cross had been exposed as an agent of something ancient and hungry. Within hours, the safe houses Adrian's team had used were abandoned, their occupants melting into Umbral's twilight streets.
"Six confirmed exits so far." Vex was perched on a rooftop overlooking the commercial district, his magitech eye tracking movement patterns across the city below. "They're not coordinating, just running. Panic response."
"Adrian's with the main group." Dante studied the map Ravenna was holding, marked with the positions his team had gathered over the past hour. "He'll head for the gate, try to force early passage before the Houses can mobilize."
"Can he do that?"
