Patrick led them deeper into the castle with steady, unhurried steps, never once breaking the rhythm expected of someone in his position. Lucas and Wesley followed just behind him, their roles clear in posture and distance, their movements aligned with his without needing words. The corridors grew quieter the further they went, the noise of the outer sections fading into something more controlled, more deliberate.
Behind them, though not directly visible, the others were doing exactly as planned. Vorde slipped through adjacent corridors with practiced ease, Murray and Bartho moved with rotating patrols, and Darmian adjusted his pace to match a passing unit before gradually peeling away. None of them stayed too close, none of them broke formation, yet all of them were converging toward the same direction, maintaining distance while staying connected through the subtle signals they had agreed upon.
They were in position.
