They kept their steady tight formation moving forward block after block. Every step brought them closer to the wider busier section of town where storefronts stayed bright and people moved in constant flow. Behind them the group from the Black Ring still followed but with less and less confidence. They were used to working in quiet empty stretches or places they could control completely. Here the open light and constant movement worked against them at every turn.
“Hold the pace right where it is,” Elias said from the front of their line. “Do not rush like you are running. Walk like you belong here and have every right to be here. That makes it harder for them to close or look like anything but trouble themselves.”
Elara stayed alert on the right side watching for side streets or gaps whe
