The plan went into motion like a well oiled machine, each part clicking into place with perfect precision.
Down in the windy canyon, Vanessa put the finishing touches on her diversion. She knelt beside the salvaged components of the Bureau's trap, her brow furrowed in concentration. With a final, precise application of mana, she activated the modified runic sequence.
BOOM!
A muffled explosion echoed through the mountains. It wasn't a world shattering blast. This one was messy and chaotic, with a bright, uncontrolled flash of unstable magic. It sounded exactly like a powerful trap failing completely.
High above, Colonel Boris saw the explosion. She was inside the Bureau's clean observation post. She saw it on her main scrying screen. A wide, satisfied smile slowly spread across her face. It was the smile of a predator that had just seen its prey walk into a snare.
