What Came Before

I hated dealing with Veldrin. He always had this air about him, like he knew something you didn't and was just waiting for the right moment to use it against you. Unlike the other professors, he didn't bother pretending to care about moral integrity or the well-being of his students. He was here for knowledge and knowledge alone.

This is why we were bringing him an artifact we had risked our lives and limbs to acquire.

Ronan and I navigated the winding corridors of the Academy's restricted wing, our footsteps echoing through the quiet halls. I had already checked to make sure we weren't being followed, but paranoia lingered. Between the heist, the cult, and whatever the hell was happening with Mara, I wasn't feeling particularly lucky lately.

"You are tense," Ronan observed.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Yeah, well, we're about to hand over a stolen artifact to a guy who probably has plans for his own villain arc."