The elevator ride back to the surface felt longer than the descent. As the doors were swung open in the main lobby, the artificial violet glow of the vault was replaced by the harsh, flickering industrial lights of the building above. Jason was standing right there, his hand hovering near his holster, his face etched with a mixture of anxiety and duty.
"Boss! You're back. Is everything... done?" Jason asked the soldier, stepping forward to meet him.
Ethan stepped out of the lift, his expression unreadable. The weight of Crul's presence in his mind was a cold, sharp contrast to the humid air of the construction site. He looked back at the elevator doors for a brief second.
"Everything is exactly where it needs to be," Ethan said the leader. "Seal the shaft. Detonate the charges."
