The air near the back entrance of Hiro Arcavan shifted slightly as the large crow shrank and fluttered off to perch on a nearby roof.
Axelius, now wearing a sleek black mask that covered the upper half of his face, pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders. Millie followed closely behind, her posture straight and her eyes sharp, now used to her duties as both assistant and shadow.
The back door of the building opened with a quiet hiss magic-driven mechanics parting the reinforced metal and glass with a soft shimmer. As they stepped inside, a wave of scent hit them: hot metal, oil, and the faint tingle of raw mana.
The first floor stretched wide like a massive hangar, illuminated by soft golden light from overhead crystals.
The walls were smooth steel-wood alloy, and along the edges, enchanted tubes pulsed with mana like glowing veins.
