A flood of thoughts tore through Beatrix and Alen's minds as they stood frozen in the dimly lit chamber. The air itself felt heavy, charged with the presence of danger. Slowly, carefully, they backed away from the one-way window, each step measured.
Maybe, just maybe, the guild members would assume the staff had stepped out for a break. Perhaps the communicators had malfunctioned. If they could buy even a few seconds of confusion, it might be enough to disappear.
But what if the Cerebus Guild decided to act first? What if they didn't wait?
Inside the chamber, the five guild members remained perfectly composed, exchanging calm, knowing looks.
"Well, this is a first, don't you think?" said Tonto, the youngest among them. His scalp was cleanly shaved except for three jagged streaks of hair that stood upright like horns.
"Exactly," Yellum replied, her tone cool yet sharp. "In all the time we've been assigned to this facility, the staff have never failed to alert us. Not once."
