The lift arrived with a soft hiss. Varik didn't move to enter.
Lucen stepped in first, leaned against the inner wall, and waited. When Varik joined him, the door shut without a command. Descent hummed faintly beneath their feet.
"You trust me with that?" Varik said after a beat. "Your design keys?"
"I trust your combat sense," Lucen replied. "If you were going to burn me, you'd have done it already."
Varik gave a soft grunt. Not agreement. Just motion.
Lucen looked straight ahead.
"I've made seven personal spells so far. One was random, courtesy of the core. I can design fast if I know what the battlefield needs."
He tapped his temple once.
"Problem is, I don't know everything I'm missing."
Varik was quiet for a long moment.
Then he spoke.
"Escape first."
Lucen blinked.
"Not offense?"
Varik shook his head. "Offense you've got. Versatility too. But you can't disengage when it matters. Every fight you've won, you've done it by barely standing."
Lucen didn't argue.
