Ethan stood quietly, tightening the leather straps around his arms one last time. The armor Hera had given him wasn't meant for show—it was light, dark, and designed for movement rather than protection.
Exactly how he liked it.
Infiltration wasn't about brute force. It was about speed. Silence. Precision.
A small pack sat on the table beside him. Inside were only the essentials: a short blade lined with anti-magic runes, a folded map that Alden had redrawn from the blueprint, and a sealed scroll from Hera—one she told him to open only if everything fell apart.
"Things might go wrong," he muttered under his breath.
He wasn't being dramatic. He just knew better by now. Still, he felt ready. There was a reason for that confidence.
The Flame Dragon Sword.
