Dr Mirelle Sane was not waiting in the archive wing.
That was the first thing Fang realised when the group emerged from the reference vault and returned through the corridor behind the cabinet. The lower passage had not changed, but the pressure in the air had. It felt less like a trap now and more like an invitation that had already been accepted by someone else.
The cabinet behind them slid shut with a soft, final click. The archive wing beyond remained quiet, as though the room itself had resumed ordinary stillness after the vault's confession. Yet Fang could feel the sense of attention still resting somewhere above the floor, waiting to be acknowledged.
Ren checked the documents in Fang's hands once more as they moved back toward the main archive room.
The witness record.
The architect's letter.
The black card with the witness line names.
The glass key, now dim but not dead.
