[Third POV - Caedryn]
Above, within his private wing of the palace, Caedryn paused mid-sentence.
The crystal array before him flickered violently.
One light dimmed entirely.
He stared at it for a long moment.
The reaper's conduit had collapsed.
His fingers tightened slowly against the edge of the table.
"That was not meant to be possible," he muttered under his breath.
An assistant standing at a distance stiffened but did not speak.
Caedryn's expression did not twist into panic. It sharpened instead. Focus narrowing, mind accelerating.
Bonebound sentinels had fallen.
The reaper had been destroyed.
This was no longer a quiet containment, it escalated.
"So," he murmured softly, eyes darkening, "you did come."
Not surprised
He moved to the side console and adjusted the sigil lattice feeding into the lower chambers. Additional barriers sealed behind the intruders, not in front. Pressure shifted to isolate rather than repel.
If they advanced, they would be funneled.
