Before dawn, with roughly two hours left before first light, Sheila gathered Ariana, Dylan, Maxwell, Edith, Felix, and Liam.
She had originally considered bringing two guards along as well, if only because every sensible part of command preferred witnesses, protection, and redundancy inside an uncleared structure. But sense had limits when space, silence, and danger were involved.
The group she had chosen was already capable enough, and extra bodies inside Veyrhold's central structure would only add noise, risk, and someone else to protect if the place reacted badly. Most of the second-years remained asleep or half-asleep in the Southern District, watched by patrols and the wall teams, while Sheila's small group moved through the marked inner route with low steps and quiet weapons.
By the time the active work began, they were already inside the bottom floor of the central structure, crossing the broad lower hall Liam had entered alone the night before.
