"Are we clear?"
The three projections were quiet.
"Understood, Guild Leader," Hale said.
Osei nodded once. Fenn held Magnus's gaze for a beat longer than the others, then inclined her head.
The projection flickered off. The blue light died.
Magnus stood alone in the guild hall. The mountain was quiet around him, and the communication artifact hummed softly on the table, and the standings still glowed on the secondary display he hadn't dismissed.
5th — New Dawn: 68,180
He stared at the number.
His hand closed into a fist at his side, slow and controlled, the knuckles whitening as the grip tightened. The mana that had pulsed as a warning moments ago stirred again, deeper now, coiling through his chest and down his arms with the restless energy of a predator looking for a target.
He turned from the table and walked to the window.
