Lucian did not slow down after leaving the building.
The door had closed behind him with finality, but he did not look back. He stepped into the night and continued forward at the same measured pace, his posture unchanged, his movements precise. The street carried on around him in its usual rhythm, headlights cutting across the pavement, distant conversations rising and falling without consequence. Nothing in the world outside reflected what had just taken place.
He did not need it to.
By the time he reached his residence, the night had settled deeper. The entrance was already lit, guards stationed exactly where they should be, their attention shifting the moment he approached. The doors opened without hesitation.
Inside, the air was not quiet.
They were waiting.
