The call came just after six in the morning.
Magnus had barely finished his first cup of coffee when his secure phone vibrated across the desk.
He answered without looking at the screen.
"Magnus."
A hurried voice replied.
"Sir... we've found something."
Magnus sat upright.
"What kind of something?"
"There are construction records that don't match." His expression sharpened.
"I'm on my way."
Half an hour later, the basement of the National Archives looked more like an archaeological site than a government building.
Dust floated through narrow beams of sunlight that slipped between cracked windows.
Shelves stretched into darkness.
Thousands of old files sat untouched, many covered in decades of neglect.
Sebastian stepped inside beside Magnus.
The smell of old paper filled the room.
"So this is where you've been hiding."
Magnus smiled faintly.
"I've started to know these shelves better than my own house."
