Then he bent his knees and jumped.
He cleared the height of the passage in a single controlled motion, mana pushing through his legs, and came up through the hole and back into the chamber above in one fluid movement. He landed beside the ritual circle and straightened his suit jacket without thinking about it.
The guild members in the room looked at him.
His expression had not changed from when he had gone down.
He walked to the far corner of the chamber, away from the others, and took out his communication device. He found the contact he needed and connected the call.
It answered on the second ring.
"This is Carter," he said, keeping his voice level and quiet. "I need a direct line to Hero Association Headquarters. Priority contact. Tell them it's a category one situation requiring immediate assessment." A pause as the person on the other end responded. "Also no, Not tomorrow. I need it now."
He ended that call and made another.
