Lucien returned to the patrol corridor without haste.
Every step matched the rhythm of the Alloykin he had replaced. Even his expression mirrored the original, indistinguishable at a glance.
The other two noticed him at once.
Their gazes flicked toward him, as if silently asking what had taken him so long.
Lucien met their eyes and spoke evenly.
"It was nothing," he said. "Just the wind."
Neither questioned him.
The strongest among them gave a short nod and turned away. The patrol resumed its steady circuit.
Lucien walked with them.
For several breaths, he said nothing.
Then casually... as if speaking to pass the time, he let his voice drift out.
"This place never changes," he remarked. "Endless tunnels. Endless watching. Sometimes I wonder why we even bother."
The Alloykin at the fifth stage glanced at him, amused.
"Bother?" he said. "What do you think would happen if we did not?"
Lucien did not answer directly.
