The access gate had gained visitors before Nox's party reached it from the chemistry corridor. They waited beyond the east wing barrier in a loose row, far enough apart to look harmless. Their shoulders remained close enough to show they had arrived for the same reason.
Kendra stopped beside the control panel with one hand resting near the desk brace she carried as a club. Yeda took the angle where she could see both the gate and the stairwell, while Vasa opened her ledger to a clean page.
The first request belonged to a boy from Nox's homeroom, although Nox needed a moment to put the face back under the dirt. He had laughed when Mark called him a failed summon, then looked away whenever the joke turned physical.
Behind him stood two cafeteria girls and a tall runner Nox remembered for carrying teachers' boxes. Chloe waited at the rear with Liam beside her, both looking less certain now that the wall had a price screen.
[ Access request: five living signatures ]
