The chatter died instantly.
Adrian let out a low whistle. "Damn. Straight to the final boss, huh?"
Ethan nodded solemnly. "RIP Merlin."
Liliana smacked him. "Don't joke!"
Seraphina crossed her arms. "It was only a matter of time. You were at the epicenter of the anomaly."
Nathan's gaze sharpened. "I'm going with you."
"No, you're not," Merlin said immediately.
"But—"
"I'm going alone." Merlin met Nathan's eyes, voice steady. "This isn't something you can interfere with. Morgana called me. Not us."
Nathan didn't argue further… but his jaw tightened.
Dorian spoke next, tone colder than usual. "If something happens, we'll know. We'll trace the mana pulse."
"That's not how Morgana works," Merlin muttered.
Seraphina nodded. "He's right. If she wants a conversation unobserved, she can block half the continent."
The group fell silent. They all knew it was true.
But there was an unspoken agreement there too:
