Roman's bedroom door shut with a muted thud that seemed to echo longer than it should.
Down the hall, Magnus's eyes sharpened. He stepped out from the shadows where he had been standing, watching, his gaze lingering on the closed door for a second before he turned away.
The corridor was quiet, the soft glow of the wall lights casting long, clean lines across the floor as he made his way back toward his study.
Once inside, he didn't sit. He pulled out his phone and dialed, pressing it to his ear as he began to pace. The faint rustle of his clothes and the low creak of the floor followed his steps. His jaw was tight, his thoughts moving faster than his feet.
The line rang once, twice, and then it connected.
"Tell me you already have everything under control," Magnus said. His voice was calm, but the urgency beneath it cut through cleanly.
A pause answered him, and in that brief silence, faint noise filtered through the line, voices, movement, something unsettled.
