They left the hidden lower chamber without lingering.
The stairs felt narrower on the way up, not because they had changed, but because the information beneath the central structure had made every other part of Veyrhold feel more demanding. Dylan still glanced back twice as they climbed, as if the reservoir might vanish if he stopped looking at it for too long. Ariana remained thoughtful, her attention pulled inward around whatever she had sensed in the chamber.
Felix kept one hand tucked around his notebook, likely fighting the urge to stop on the stairwell and write until his fingers cramped. Sheila moved ahead with purpose, already sorting what the discovery changed, what could wait, and what had to be acted on before the rest of the year woke fully.
Liam came last.
