Their steps echoed quietly as they descended deeper into the hidden passage.
The walls grew narrower, the glow of old aether lines pulsing steadily with a cold light that bathed their faces in shifting hues of blue and green.
The silence stretched, but Anna’s curiosity finally broke it.
"So what are we after, exactly?"
She asked, her voice hushed.
Nova didn’t look at her.
"An auction item. Tomorrow."
Anna’s brows furrowed.
"Auction? You an from the main vault list?"
He gave a short nod.
"I’m getting it back. At all costs."
That stopped her. Her mouth pressed into a grim line, and her pace slowed.
"Then you’re out of luck."
She said quietly.
Nova kept walking.
"Why?"
"Because if it’s on the docket for tomorrow, it’s already in the vault. And the vault’s under the eastern core—triple-layer security, rotating guards, and full-pantheon surveillance. Civilians can’t even breathe near the access elevator without a clearance node."
Her voice darkened.
"Most of the things taken there? They never co back out."
Just as she finished speaking, Nova raised a hand and pressed two fingers to her lips. Anna blinked in surprise, but stilled.
He pointed down the corridor.
Voices.
Boots.
Three shadows stretched across the far wall—ard guards, walking at a lazy pace. Their weapons were slung loosely over their shoulders, and one of them kicked at a loose stone as they talked.
"I still don’t get why we have to patrol these old corridors. No one uses this route. It’s like sweeping a ghost’s closet."
One muttered.
"Yeah, well, vault pays more if you circle this side. Boring, but better than babysitting nobles."
Another grumbled.
"Let’s just log the shift and go get drinks."
Anna leaned closer to Nova and whispered.
"High-security guards. They might have clearance tags for the vault floors. But they’re trained—subduing them won’t be easy."
Nova didn’t respond.
He was already gone.
One second he was beside her. The next, the air rippled faintly and he was part of the shadow—folding into it like smoke.
Aether shimred along his body, blurring his presence, muting his movents to complete silence.
The first guard didn’t even know he was being watched.
A hand erged from the shadows, clamping over his mouth, and in the sa motion, Nova hooked his other arm beneath the man’s throat and dragged him backward into the corridor’s side recess.
The guard struggled—briefly—but Nova shifted his weight and twisted sharply. There was a dull pop. Then silence.
The second guard turned, sensing sothing—but too slowly. A flicker of movent, and Nova appeared behind him, grabbing the man’s wrist before he could raise his weapon.
With a twist of his fingers, the guard’s shoulder dislocated. The cry of pain never ca; Nova jabbed two knuckles into the man’s solar plexus, dropping him.
Then a precise blow to the back of the head silenced him for good.
The third guard saw it—eyes wide, hand going for his communicator.
Nova didn’t give him the chance.
He flicked his wrist, and a small blade of condensed aether shot forward, nicking the guard’s leg just enough to throw off his balance.
As the man stumbled, Nova closed the distance, grabbed the guard mid-fall, and slamd him into the corridor wall with calculated force.
The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious before he hit the ground.
All of it took less than ten seconds.
Anna stared, frozen in place.
Nova stepped out of the darkness, calm and composed, as though he hadn’t just dismantled three ard professionals without a sound.
He crouched beside the last fallen guard, rifling through his gear.
"...How did you—"
Anna started, stunned.
"They weren’t trained well enough."
Nova said simply, pulling a silver badge from a small compartnt inside the guard’s vest. An intricate crest glowed faintly on its surface, flickering with active aether.
Vault security clearance.
Nova crouched beside the fallen guards again, fingers brushing over their uniforms and belts, scanning for anything that felt out of place.
His eyes narrowed, the glow from his gauntlet flickering faintly as he initiated a low-level aether pulse.
The bodies lit up in soft outlines—veins of reactive aether embedded beneath skin and tal.
"I’m not seeing a physical key."
He muttered.
Anna stood nearby, arms crossed tightly across her chest.
"That’s because there isn’t one. I’ve heard the guards talk before—important access credentials are embedded directly into their bodies. Biotric-locked. ans only the assigned carrier can use them."
Nova’s eyes narrowed.
"Convenient."
"For them, yeah. Makes stealing access nearly impossible."
She said.
Nova didn’t respond. He ran his fingers along the second guard’s hand, following a faint trail of residual aether that pulsed just beneath the skin.
It concentrated around the base of the thumb and wrist. When he touched it, the glow spiked—sensitive to his own signature.
He drew a small blade from his belt.
Anna stepped forward.
"Wait—what are you—?"
The blade sliced cleanly through muscle and bone with surgical precision. No hesitation. Just calculation.
Nova held the severed hand up by the wrist, turning it slightly to check the aether trail. Still active.
"This’ll work."
He said simply, storing it in a sealed compartnt under his coat.
Anna opened her mouth, paused, then slowly closed it again.
There was sothing about the ease with which he handled things—efficient, detached—that made her think twice about pushing for answers.
After all, she had sworn loyalty. Probably best not to test the boundaries just yet.
They continued down the corridor in silence, the glow of the secret passage giving way to a steadily brightening light ahead.
At last, the tunnel opened up to a stone landing beneath the main trade hall of Clavacis.
The ceiling arched above them like a grand palace, with rchant banners, crystal chandeliers, and decorative pillars—all designed to give the illusion of wealth and tradition.
Beyond the threshold, voices echoed. Footsteps. Crowds.
Anna stopped just before the open hall and took a breath, steadying herself.
"Alright. From here on, we need to act natural. Blend in. Walk like we belong, and no one will question us."
She said, eyes scanning the space.
Nova didn’t answer.
He just stepped forward into the hall—unhurried, unhidden, not even glancing at the people around him.
Anna blinked.
"Right. Or... that."
He didn’t slow down.
He didn’t have to.
Anna hesitated for a breath, watching Nova stride into the crowd as if the space belonged to him. No cloak. No disguise. Just that sa calm, unshakable presence.
People instinctively moved out of his way—though they didn’t seem to realize why. So glanced at him, then imdiately looked away, as if sothing deep inside told them not to linger.
Anna caught up quickly, keeping half a step behind.
"You know, walking like that isn’t exactly subtle."
Nova didn’t look at her.
"You’re carrying a severed hand in your pocket."
He gave the faintest hint of a shrug.
"That’s not my problem until soone makes it one."
She stared at him, half in disbelief, half in reluctant admiration. It wasn’t arrogance. It was conviction—like he simply didn’t consider failure an option. Like the rules didn’t apply to him.
The crowd thickened as they neared the eastern concourse, where ard guards watched from raised platforms and auction banners lined the walls.
Anna adjusted her posture, eyes alert.
She could play the part of a servant if needed. Nova looked like no part of anything—but sohow still belonged.
"Remind never to bet against you."
She muttered.
Nova gave no response.
He didn’t need to.
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