Varik tilted his head slightly. "Didn't want to ruin the last one. You did light half the street on fire."
Lucen shrugged. "Collateral."
Silence.
Then Varik nodded once and turned. Started walking.
Lucen followed.
They passed a locked gate, old steel, reinforced. Varik tapped a glyph on the wall. Low hum, then a click. Door opened smooth. Quiet.
Inside, the temperature dropped. The air thinned.
Lucen's boots echoed slightly on polished floor.
Underground.
Mana in the walls.
They were in something old. Something repurposed. This wasn't new-construction government. This was private. Legacy. Maybe even illegal.
Lucen didn't ask.
Didn't need to.
Varik opened another door.
The room beyond was large, hollow, and silent. No decorations. No gear. Just reinforced stone and a circle embedded in the floor, faint silver glow. Spell-conductive alloy.
Lucen stepped in. The door sealed behind them.
Varik walked to the center and turned.
