Aria's POV
Getting close to the Academy administrative building without being detected required every stealth skill I'd learned during months of sneaking around campus. The difference was that now I was approaching from the outside, moving through forest terrain in complete darkness, with the knowledge that discovery meant immediate elimination.
No pressure.
Caspian moved beside me with the silent efficiency of someone trained for this kind of operation. Behind us, Hayes provided overwatch while Riven and Lyra maintained position at the forest edge—ready to create a distraction if our reconnaissance went wrong.
The east side of the administrative building was exactly as I'd remembered: tall windows facing the tree line, with Conference Room Seven clearly visible on the third floor. Lig
