"We want you in the dungeon," she said simply. No gentle introduction now. No more pretty wrapping. "Alone."
The word was left to sit for a moment between them.
"Your queen need not know," she continued, voice smooth as glass. "Your Arcane Order need not know. You enter first. You explore. We will ensure our forces do not interfere. No Technomancer squad will cross your path."
Mikhailis's jaw moved, just a little, as he shifted his teeth together in thought.
"And if I die?" he asked, tone conversational, as if asking about weather.
"If you die," she replied softly, "we will know you failed."
She took a step closer, eyes never leaving his.
"And if you lie," she added, voice lowering, "we will know that too. Lies leave marks in resonance patterns. Your mana, your emotional field, even your physical reactions—they all leave traces. We are very experienced in reading them."
He let a small, flat smile touch his mouth.
