The citadel was still dark when they left.
Ning Xiaoyu navigated the citadel with the ease of someone who already knew the layout. A simple walk through its corridors was enough for the girl to memorise all the paths she had seen, which told Damon she was a lot more detail-oriented than he first thought.
Nyla followed them all the way to the teleportation device before coming to a halt. As much as she didn't want him to go alone, she had no choice. This was a matter of their survival, and the decision was already made.
Ivy was still busy with room disputes, so she was nowhere to be seen. Damon asked Nyla to tell her he had left before he and Ning Xiaoyu stepped onto the teleportation device and disappeared from the citadel.
Ning Xiaoyu remained completely silent as she led him north.
It took them until the sun began to rise to reach a teleportation device located between three half-collapsed buildings.
