The descent was quiet.
No more floating platforms. No more pulse shifts. Just a sealed lift that carried Aris down through the spiral base of the scaffold. Her limbs ached, every breath stiff from the exertion—but her grip on the baton never loosened.
When the lift doors opened at ground level, Leon was waiting.
He didn't speak.
He just handed her a bottle of water and clapped her on the shoulder.
Kael and Roselia were just behind, kneeling over a dismantled Choir console.
"You handled it?" Kael asked without looking up.
Aris nodded. "Lira's gone. Fourth Voice. She wasn't subtle."
"She wasn't meant to be," Roselia said, standing and tossing a burnt pulse thread aside. "She was a distraction."
Aris frowned. "Explain."
Kael stepped back from the console and activated a projection.
It showed a floor map—Floor 334—but deep beneath the surface.
