Aria walked through the corridor without pausing, her thoughts already moving toward what came next.
Outside the hall, the evening air of Magical City met her fully. The street beyond the Grey Shadow Hall entrance was wide and uneven.
Vendor stalls along the far edge were beginning to close for the night—cloth covers being pulled over displays, small fires being extinguished, the smell of cooked food and wood smoke drifting across the cooling air.
The sky above the rooftops had gone from amber to a deep bruised purple at the edges, and the first few stars were becoming visible in the darkening centre above. Lanterns were being lit along the main road, their light warm and unsteady in the evening wind.
Varis walked two steps behind her and one to the left. He had maintained that exact position for three years without being asked to do so.
