The inspection party withdrew from the waste alcove and reformed along the western foundation corridor, proceeding with calculated care.
Ferra led the advance toward the false service door, carrying her portable tool chest with steady hands.
Didi remained stationed outside the marked boundary line, holding the official palace record against her chest with quiet vigilance.
Juna secured the restricted access route behind them, her sharp gaze scanning every shadow along the damp vaulted ceiling.
Vella stayed beside the sealed drainage basin down the hall, keeping her gloved fingers positioned just above the sealed surface.
"The warning pulse traveled behind the nullstone," she reminded them, her voice carrying clearly across the quiet corridor.
"The drain will register any structural reaction long before the palace guards notice a change... so keep your ears open."
