Ethan allowed a faint smile to settle on his lips before turning away from Gordon and Rick.
He walked back toward his desk with measured steps, the soft sound of his boots against the floor echoing faintly in the room.
The office was quiet again, filled only with the subtle hum of the system interface and the distant noise of activity from outside the guild headquarters.
He reached his desk and began organizing the documents he had already finished.
Each file was straightened carefully, stacked in precise alignment, corners squared as if perfection could be enforced through habit alone.
It was something he had always done when his thoughts became crowded. Order on the surface helped him breathe.
They really meant it when they said they came here with a purpose.
Gordon and Rick had spoken confidently when they first arrived. Their words carried certainty, as if they were ready to shoulder responsibility again.
