He would pull when the time was right. Not before.
Kaelen waiting where the stairway met the street. The guardian did not speak when Ren joined him. He only offered a curt nod and began walking. The two moved through alleys whose stones still smelled faintly of smoke and rain. Merchants unrolled tarps. A child ran past with a catch of bright glass creatures that blinked when touched. The normal life of the city continued as if nothing leaned toward the basin.
"You have learned its edges," Kaelen said at last, his voice level. "That is useful. The Veilkeepers do not respond to the obvious. They watch how a man moves when he thinks no one looks."
Ren did not answer. He let his eyes scan the path, watching gestures and silences. Nyxa's presence thinned and sharpened inside him. "They are not stones to be broken, little shadow. They are mechanisms. Learn how the parts move together."
