The chamber settled into an uneasy quiet once the last echoes of the fight faded. Frost melted into thin rivulets across the stone floor, pooling in shallow cracks before seeping away. The blue barrier hummed steadily behind them, its glow washing over the three fallen guards piled inside the cell. The smell of cold metal and ozone lingered in the air.

  Thomas stood near the battered desk, chest rising and falling in jagged breaths. One hand remained half-raised, fingers tense, as if he expected another blow to come out of nowhere. Sweat beaded at his temple, tracking slowly down his cheek despite the chill.

  Garrelt released a long breath and rolled his shoulders. He let the sword he'd taken from Lou clatter to the stone with a dull ring and flexed his hands once. "Well," he muttered, glancing at the still forms behind the barrier, "that was fun." His mouth twitched. "But let's not make it a habit."

  "Noted…' Thomas muttered.

  Jonah didn't respond. He didn't even move.

  He stood a few paces away, head slightly bowed. His hands were clenched so hard his gloves creaked under the strain. Then he lifted his gaze.

  His eyes fixed on Thomas.

  The temperature in the room seemed to drop another notch.

  Jonah took one step forward.

  Thomas noticed immediately. "Jonah—" he spoke, his voice soft and placating.

  His words died on his lips as Jonah answered with a snarl and launched himself forward.

  Thomas's eyes widened, and his hand snapped up on instinct. Ice flared into existence along his forearm, crystallizing in a heartbeat into a narrow blade. Pale blue light rippled across its surface as frost crawled up his fingers.

  Garrelt stepped between them without hesitation. Jonah hit him chest-first, the impact driving them both back a step. Garrelt's boots scraped against stone as he absorbed the force, arms snapping up and locking around Jonah's shoulders. Jonah thrashed in his grip, muscles coiling and surging as he fought to break free, but Garrelt's greater strength kept them rooted in place.

  "Jonah!" Garrelt barked. "Stop!"

  Jonah thrashed in his grip, teeth bared. "Get out of my way!"

  He twisted, trying to slip free, one arm snapping out toward Thomas. Garrelt tightened his hold, muscles bunching as he dragged Jonah back another step.

  "This isn't the time," Garrelt growled. "Calm down."

  Jonah wrenched his head around, fury blazing as it turned on Garrelt instead. "Calm down?" he shouted. His voice cracked, raw and sharp. "This is none of your business!" He jerked his chin toward Thomas. "He's a traitor. This is between me and him!"

  Thomas stood frozen behind them, fingers tightening around the hilt of the ice blade in his hand. The frost along its edge crackled softly. A bead of sweat traced a slow path down his temple despite the chill. His eyes flicked between Jonah's storm-dark glare and the chamber entrance. He swallowed hard.

  The [Wasp] drifted down and settled on Garrelt's shoulder, its red optic pulsing once as Alpha spoke.

  "Garrelt's right," Alpha said calmly in Jonah's ear. "Stand down."

  Jonah's breath hitched. "But—!"

  "What's more important?" Alpha cut in without raising his voice. "Your revenge? Or getting Audrea out of here safely?"

  The words cut through Jonah's fury like a blade through cloth. His breath caught, then stuttered out in a harsh exhale. For a long second, no one moved.

  Jonah's chest heaved, his fists trembled at his sides, the urge to break free still written into every line of his body. His eyes never left Thomas.

  Then, slowly, Jonah took a step back.

  Garrelt loosened his grip but didn't let go completely until Jonah's shoulders sagged a fraction, the fight draining out of him in sharp, angry breaths. Jonah wiped at his mouth with the back of his glove and backed away another step, jaw clenched tight.

  His voice dropped lower, quieter now, but no less sharp. "He's not walking away after this."

  "That's fine," Alpha replied evenly. "You can have your rematch later. Right now, he's working for me. And we're on the clock."

  Jonah's eyes flicked toward the [Wasp], then returned to Thomas. He said nothing more, but the tension didn't fully leave his posture.

  Before either of them could speak again, Garrelt turned and faced Thomas, folding his arms across his chest. "Speaking of being on the clock…"

  Thomas flinched. His grip on the ice blade faltered, the crystalline edge shivering as he glanced once at Jonah, then back to Garrelt. He let out a slow, unsteady breath. Frost crept back down his arm as the construct unraveled, dissolving into pale mist that vanished into the air. His shoulders slumped as if the weight of the last few minutes finally settled on him.

  "…Right," Thomas muttered. "Got it."

  The [Wasp] shifted slightly, its red optic focusing on him with quiet intent.

  "Well then," Alpha said, his tone settling back into cool efficiency, "it's time you hold up your end of things, Thomas. Where's Audrea?"

  Thomas closed his eyes for a brief moment, jaw tightening. Then he nodded once. "This way."

  He turned toward one of the sealed doors set into the curved wall. The stone there looked no different from the rest at first glance, smooth and unmarked, but Thomas moved with practiced certainty.

  He reached into his coat and pulled out the small white jade crystal he'd taken from Lou. It caught the light as he lifted it, its faint inner glow pulsing once. His fingers tightened around it for the briefest heartbeat before he pressed it flat against a barely visible panel in the stone.

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  A thin line of light traced outward from the point of contact, carving a precise seam through the wall.

  With a soft mechanical hiss, the stone split apart.

  The door slid open, revealing a space barely larger than the cell across the chamber. A narrow bed sat against the far wall, its thin mattress bowed in the middle, sheets rumpled and stained by long use. Like the previous cell, a thin blue energy barrier stretched across the entrance, its surface humming faintly.

  A figure lay on the bed, grey robes obscuring most of their form.

  Thomas hesitated for a heartbeat, then pressed the white jade crystal against the hidden panel and twisted it carefully. The barrier flickered, crackled, and collapsed inward, dissolving with a hiss of static that crawled across the stone like dry lightning before fading into silence.

  At the sound, the figure twitched.

  Then the woman stirred, one hand bracing weakly against the mattress as she lifted her head. The motion was slow, deliberate, as if every inch cost her effort. Pale grey robes slipped from one shoulder as she pushed herself up on her elbows. Her hair hung loose and unkempt around a face drawn thin by exhaustion, dark circles carved beneath her eyes. She squinted toward the doorway, irritation sharpening her expression even through the fatigue.

  "What?" Audrea rasped, her voice hoarse. She frowned at Thomas, then a faint smirk tugged at her mouth. "Is that bastard outside still too scared to make me take my 'medicine' himself?" She tilted her head slightly. "Got you doing it now, Thomas?"

  She waved a hand weakly, dismissive despite her condition. "It was just a little bite. Tell him to stop being a child."

  Thomas opened his mouth—

  Jonah surged past him into the cell.

  "Sister Audrea!"

  The words tore out of him as he crossed the distance in two strides, skidding to a stop beside the bed.

  Audrea froze.

  Shock wiped the smirk from her face as her eyes widened, locking onto Jonah like she was seeing a ghost.

  "Jonah?" Her voice cracked. "What in the Hearthmother's name are you doing here, child?"

  She swung her legs off the bed and staggered. Jonah barely had time to react before she pulled him into a fierce, crushing hug. For a heartbeat, she clung to him as if afraid he might vanish, fingers digging into his shoulders.

  "Rescuing you!" Jonah responded from her embrace.

  She shoved him back just enough to look him over, hands gripping his arms as panic flared in her eyes.

  "No," she said sharply. "No, you shouldn't be here." Her gaze darted past him, sweeping the room, the doorway, and beyond. "Jonah, it's a trap. Icefinger's lieutenants—"

  "We know," Alpha said calmly.

  Garrelt stepped into the doorway behind Jonah, his broad frame filling the space as the [Wasp] drifted in beside him.

  Audrea's gaze snapped past Jonah, locking onto the drone.

  She stared at it for a long second, eyes narrowing.

  "And you still came?" she said coolly. "I know Dungeon Cores don't exactly think the same way mortals do, Mr. Alpha, but I didn't take you for a fool."

  A soft chuckle sounded through the drone. "On the contrary," Alpha replied. "This little stunt of theirs is about to cost Icefinger dearly."

  Audrea raised an eyebrow. "In what way?" she asked dryly. "Has the Guild finally decided to lend you one of their Second Realm teams?"

  Before Alpha could answer, Garrelt cleared his throat.

  "While I hate to interrupt your banter," he said, voice firm but respectful, "we're still in the heart of the enemy's den. We can talk while we walk." His gaze settled on Audrea, assessing. "Can you fight?"

  Audrea considered him in silence for a moment. Then she shook her head once.

  "The guard outside's been dosing me with something," she said. "It's been messing with my spiritual energy." She flexed her fingers, testing them. "It's been a while since the last dose, but I won't be much use against even a Silver Spirit right now."

  Garrelt grimaced but nodded. "All right. I'll take point. Jonah, rear."

  Garrelt didn't wait for a response. He turned and stepped back into the corridor beyond, already moving.

  Audrea followed, her stride unsteady but determined.

  As she passed Thomas, she stopped.

  Audrea turned slowly and stared at him.

  He reacted before he quite realized he was doing it. His shoulders straightened, spine snapping into place the way years in the orphanage had trained him to respond. His hands twitched once at his sides before going still. Part of him winced at the instinct, at how easily he'd slipped back into the posture of a child waiting for judgment. Yet he couldn't make himself meet her eyes. Instead, his gaze locked somewhere just past her shoulder, jaw tightening as he swallowed.

  Audrea's mouth drew thin. Something flickered in her eyes — sharp and pained all at once — and Thomas flinched before he knew why.

  It cracked through the chamber, sharp and clean. His head snapped to the side, vision flashing white for a heartbeat as heat bloomed across his cheek. Thomas didn't move. He just stood there, breath shallow, eyes wide as the sting settled in.

  A red handprint rose almost immediately.

  For a long, brittle heartbeat, no one moved.

  Then Audrea stepped forward and grabbed the front of his coat, yanking him down just enough to wrap her arms around him in a brief, fierce hug.

  "Stupid boy," she muttered, voice low and rough. "You never were good at knowing when to ask for help."

  She released him just as quickly, turning away as if nothing had happened.

  Thomas blinked, stunned. A dozen emotions crossed his face in the span of a second, before his expression flattened into a blank stare.

  Audrea moved toward the exit, boots scuffing lightly against the stone. She took two steps before realizing no one was following. Pausing, she glanced back, one brow lifting as she took in the looks still aimed at her.

  "Well?" she said dryly. "Are you lot coming, or not?"

  Garrelt gave a small shrug and resumed his place at the front.

  Jonah fell in behind her without a word, brushing past Thomas and casting him a dark, unreadable look as he went.

  Thomas lingered for half a heartbeat longer. His fingers brushed his still-burning cheek. Then he squared his shoulders and stepped after them.

  The group crossed back into the main chamber at a brisk pace. The air still carried the aftertaste of frost and ozone, the blue glow of the cells washing the room in cold light. Garrelt took point, shoulders squared. Audrea stayed close behind him, her steps steady despite the lingering weakness in her limbs. Jonah followed at her flank, jaw tight, attention split between Thomas and the shadows ahead.

  They were nearly at the chamber's far arch when a voice cut through the space.

  Calm. Dark. Almost amused.

  "You know you're not making it out of here, right?"

  The words stopped them cold.

  Garrelt pivoted first, hand half-raised as if to strike. Jonah turned a heartbeat later, already scowling.

  Berner stood at the edge of his cell's barrier, one hand casually braced against the glowing field, his posture loose despite the bruises darkening his jaw and the stiffness in his stance. The blue light traced the lines of his smirk as he watched them.

  Jonah let out a sharp scoff. "And how are you going to stop us?"

  Berner's smile widened a fraction. "I don't need to."

  His gaze slid past Jonah and locked onto Thomas.

  The chamber seemed to tighten around them.

  "You've seen what Lady Kira does to traitors," Berner said mildly. "You really should know how to pick your friends better." His eyes flicked briefly to Jonah, then back.

  The smirk sharpened into something uglier. "Just like you should have checked Lou's pockets better."

  Thomas's face drained of color.

  "No—" he breathed, already stepping forward.

  Without breaking eye contact, Berner tipped his head and called over his shoulder. "Ha-Joon? You find it?"

  "Yup!" Ha-Joon chirped, far too cheerful for the moment.

  Inside the cell, Ha-Joon had pushed himself upright. He stepped closer to the barrier and handed Berner a small, palm-sized clay token. It was stamped with a simple image — a sleeping cat curled in on itself.

  Thomas's stomach dropped.

  He thrust his hand out. "Stop—!"

  A spike of ice tore free from his palm, shrieking across the chamber in a straight, lethal line. It struck the barrier with a concussive crack and exploded into glittering shards, frost spraying harmlessly across the blue field. The ward didn't even flicker.

  Berner chuckled softly.

  Still holding Thomas's gaze, he closed his fingers around the token.

  The clay crumbled with a dull crunch.

  Something unseen shifted in the air, subtle but unmistakable.

  The [Wasp] snapped to life on Garrelt's shoulder.

  "We need to go," Alpha said sharply, all pretense gone. "Now. Kira just changed directions. She's headed right for you."