A Warehouse of Lies

The warehouse loomed ahead, half-hidden in mist and full of bad decisions. It had that distinct abandoned-murder-scene aesthetic—the kind of place where people disappeared, and the authorities shrugged it off. Vivi already didn't like it.

"This place looks like the kind of establishment where they charge extra for getting out alive," she muttered, adjusting her coat.

Callum, a step ahead, didn't even glance at her. "Then stay close."

"Oh, please, protect me, big bad wolf," she drawled. "I'm just a fragile, helpless lawyer."

He cracked his knuckles without looking at her. Third time since they'd left the car. His version of I have a bad feeling about this.

"We're walking into a trap," he said. "Stay sharp."

"I live sharp," she countered. "You, on the other hand, are about as subtle as a wrecking ball. Maybe don't announce our presence with your usual 'kick the door in and glare at things' routine?"

He gave her a long, unimpressed look. "You think you're funny."

"Not think, Callum. Know."

She walked ahead before he could reply, which was probably for the best. He looked ready to argue for sport.

The warehouse's rusted side door was covered in faint, flickering sigils. Wards. Freshly set.

[High-Grade Wards Detected]

Type: Anti-intrusion, Reactive Binding

Status: Recently Activated**

"Oh, this is promising," she muttered, eyeing the magic shimmer. "These wards are fresh. Someone inside already knows we're coming."

Callum frowned. "Can you break them?"

"Sure, if I feel like setting myself on fire."

"Noted."

Before she could argue further, Callum stepped forward and—because of course—punched the damn door.

The entire building shuddered as the wards shattered, energy rippling outward like a scream. The rusted frame caved in with an unholy screech, and the whole thing collapsed in on itself, leaving nothing but a smoking hole where an actual entrance used to be.

Vivi blinked at the destruction.

"Really?" she asked flatly. "You had to go full Kool-Aid Man?"

Callum stepped through the wreckage without answering.

She followed, sighing heavily. "Subtlety is dead. Murdered. I hope you're happy."

Inside, the warehouse smelled like dust, old magic, and the kind of mildew that made health inspectors cry. Rows of wooden crates lined the walls, some marked with symbols she didn't like.

Too quiet.

Vivi stopped short. "Something's off."

Callum's gaze flicked across the room. "It's a setup."

"Wow. Genius detective work."

Callum shot her a look, but before he could reply, the floor beneath them flared.

A ring of runes lit up, encircling them in a pulse of red light. The air snapped, magic locking down their movements.

"Well, shit."

Vivi tried to move, but her limbs refused to obey. The spell clamped down, iron-tight, a binding ward designed to lock down supernatural energy.

Callum snarled, straining against the magic. "Whoever did this is about to have a really bad night."

"I love the confidence," Vivi gritted out, "but unless you've got a 'Break Magic With Sheer Alpha Stubbornness' trick, we might have a slight problem."

A chuckle echoed from the shadows.

"Not just slight," a voice corrected.

A figure emerged from behind a stack of crates—tall, draped in dark robes, and clearly enjoying himself way too much. His sharp features twisted into a smirk as he crossed his arms. The Black Circle insignia gleamed on his chest.

"Vivi Kane and Callum Dorian," the sorcerer drawled. "Right on time."

Vivi sighed. "Fantastic. He monologues."

Callum tensed beside her, muscles coiled. "Who are you?"

"Oh, don't worry about my name," the sorcerer said smoothly. "You won't need it for long."

"That's adorable," Vivi said. "You practice that in the mirror?"

His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before smoothing over. "You're awfully mouthy for someone in a binding spell."

"It's a coping mechanism," she said. "You should hear me at dentist appointments."

Callum exhaled sharply, which, from him, was practically a laugh.

The sorcerer ignored them, raising a hand. The runes at their feet flared brighter, and the air pressed tighter around them.

Callum growled in warning, his teeth bared.

"Oh no," Vivi muttered. "We made him mad. Should I apologize? I feel like I should apologize."

"You should shut up," Callum muttered.

"Too late," she said cheerfully. "I have commitment issues."

The runes crackled again, magic winding tighter around them. Vivi's Omega Insight flared in her mind.

[Binding Spell]

Status: Stable

Weak Point Detected: Secondary Focus (Crate 14C)

Her gaze flicked to a crate marked 14C in the corner.

"Callum," she whispered. "The crate in the corner—it's holding the focus point."

His eyes followed her line of sight, narrowing as he spotted the faint glow of contained magic. "Got it."

"How are you going to break it while glued to the floor?" she hissed.

Callum exhaled once. Then, with a guttural growl, he ripped against the spell.

The sorcerer's confident smirk wavered.

Vivi smirked. "Uh-oh. Someone underestimated the werewolf."

Callum snapped free with a surge of raw force and lunged for the crate.

The sorcerer cursed, throwing a bolt of magic—

—but Callum was already there. His fist slammed into the crate, shattering it.

The magic exploded, sending shockwaves through the room. The binding spell shattered, releasing Vivi in an instant.

She stumbled forward, limbs free again. "Well, that was unnecessarily dramatic."

Callum cracked his knuckles. "You're welcome."

The sorcerer hissed in frustration, already retreating. "You fools have no idea what you're interfering with—"

"Oh, sweetheart," Vivi interrupted, stepping forward. "You set a trap, we walked into it, and you lost. You don't get to do the 'ominous foreshadowing' bit."

Callum moved to grab him, but the sorcerer vanished in a swirl of black smoke.

Coward.

The warehouse settled into silence. Vivi exhaled.

"Well," she said, hands on her hips. "That went fantastically."

Callum turned to her, steel-gray eyes assessing. "We know who's behind it now."

"Yeah," Vivi muttered. "And now we get to tell the Council we just picked a fight with the Black Circle."

Callum smirked. "And here I thought you didn't do politics."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Yeah, well, politics can go to hell."

Callum chuckled. "Not before we burn them down first."

Vivi sighed again, louder this time. "You love this, don't you?"

He didn't answer. But the smirk said everything.