The door creaked behind her. The sound was trapped between the stone walls, as if the room swallowed even the silence.

Aurora stopped in the center. The air there seemed denser, warmer. There were burning embers in stone bowls in the corners of the room, casting orange shadows on the dark floor. The old man sitting in the armchair did not move.

“You may go, Thales. As always, you did a great job. Celebrate tonight.”

Thales nodded with his chin. His body tense, but his ...