"All right," he said, voice low but clear. "It's time."
A soft chime echoed through the Sanctum's upper halls—confirmation that the carriage had arrived. Somewhere beyond the doors, servants moved into silent formation, their footfalls barely registering as more than a breath.
"You'll take the Ascendant Carriage," Kaleran continued, eyes sweeping across them with a last, tactical once-over. "It'll bring you to the banquet hall's east wing. The entry's timed—on cue, not early. When the horn sounds, you walk. Not before. Not after."
His eyes moved across the four.
Then landed—predictably—on Lucavion.
"…Don't cause any trouble."
Lucavion tilted his head with the slow grace of a man who had already weighed the worth of a thousand kinds of trouble. "I'll try."
Kaleran narrowed his eyes. "Try harder."
Vitaliara on Lucavion's shoulder twitched one ear in what might have been shared skepticism.
