"We will proceed," Marcus said, shaking the hands of Merchant Kelly.

With that, the agreement was sealed again. Merchant Kelly gave one final glance at the helicopter before returning to the carriage. Moments later, it turned and left the grounds.

"You are going to leave now?" Elaina asked, looking up to Marcus.

"Yes we will," Marcus said. "This is going to be a few man’s job, just the crew of the helicopter and me."

"Okay, as I said, be safe, the Forest of No Return is called that because of its reputation."

"We are going to fly over it, doesn’t matter," Marcus said. "But first, I’m going to have some lunch. Too bad our client is too eager to leave. Have you prepared anything?" Marcus finished.

Elaina gave a small nod.

"Of course," she said. "You think I’d let you head out on a job like this without eating first?"

Marcus smirked faintly.

"Just making sure."

She turned and gestured for him to follow.

"Come on," she said. "Before that, I’ll show you something."

Marcus raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it. He fell in step beside her as they moved deeper into the base.

They passed through the main corridor, where personnel were still moving between stations. A few greeted Elaina with quick nods, others stepped aside without being told. The flow of work didn’t stop, but it adjusted around her presence.

Marcus noticed that.

"...You’ve got them running tight," he said.

Elaina didn’t look at him.

"They need to be," she replied. "We’re not dealing with small contracts anymore."

They reached a reinforced door at the far end of the hallway.

Elaina pushed it open.

"Command center," she said.

Marcus stepped inside.

The room was wider than his office, filled with large tables, pinned maps, and boards covered in notes and markings. Some sections were dedicated to supply tracking, others to movement routes. One wall had a detailed map of the surrounding regions, with marked zones and lines drawn across it.

A few personnel were inside, quietly discussing something over a map.

They stopped when Elaina entered.

"At ease," she said.

They returned to their work immediately.

Marcus walked further in, his eyes scanning the layout.

"...You upgraded this," he said.

Elaina nodded.

"While you were gone," she replied. "We needed a central place to track operations. Not just local, but extended."

She stepped toward the large map and tapped a section.

"This is the Forest of No Return," she said.

Marcus walked closer.

The area was marked differently from the rest.

Darker. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Less detailed.

"...Not much information," he noted.

"Because no one stays long enough to map it properly," Elaina replied. "Most routes end halfway."

Marcus studied it for a second longer.

"...Doesn’t matter," he said. "We’re going over it."

Elaina glanced at him.

"I know," she said. "But it helps to understand what’s below you."

Marcus gave a small nod.

"Fair."

A brief silence followed before Elaina stepped back.

"Alright," she said. "You’ve seen it. Let’s not keep your food waiting."

Marcus smirked.

"Now that sounds better."

They left the command center and headed back down the corridor. The atmosphere shifted slightly as they moved away from the operational side of the base and toward the administrative wing.

Elaina stopped in front of his office and pushed the door open.

"Go on," she said.

Marcus stepped inside.

The first thing he noticed was the table. It was filled with bread, meat, vegetables, and a pot of something warm still letting off a faint steam.

"...You weren’t kidding," he said.

Elaina walked in after him and closed the door.

"I rarely am," she replied.

Marcus pulled out a chair and sat down, immediately reaching for the food.

"Good," he said. "Because I’m starving."

Elaina moved to the other side of the table but didn’t sit right away. She watched him for a second as he took his first bite.

"...You really are treating this like a normal job," she said.

Marcus chewed, swallowed, then looked up at her.

"It is a job," he replied. "Just higher stakes."

Elaina finally took a seat.

"...Just make sure you come back from it," she said quietly.

Marcus gave a small nod.

"I will."

Then he leaned back slightly, taking another bite. He savored every bite of it, slower than usual, like he was making the time count instead of rushing through it. The food was simple, nothing extravagant, but it was warm, properly cooked, and steady. After days of movement, tension, and constant decisions, that alone felt like a break.

Elaina didn’t interrupt him at first. She let the silence sit between them, not awkward, just quiet. The kind of silence that only came when both people already knew what was at stake.

Marcus tore another piece of bread, dipping it into the stew before taking a bite.

"You’ve been busy," he said after a moment, glancing around the room.

Elaina followed his gaze briefly.

"I had to be," she replied. "Once word got out about the Red Dragon, requests started coming in. Not all of them worth taking, but enough to show where things are heading."

Marcus nodded slightly.

"...Bigger jobs."

"Yes."

She leaned back in her chair, her posture finally easing just a little.

"And bigger expectations," she added.

Marcus gave a faint smirk.

"That part doesn’t change anything."

Elaina shook her head.

"It does," she said. "Before, you could take risks and recover if something went wrong. Now, people are starting to look at you differently. They’ll assume you can handle things others can’t."

Marcus swallowed, then reached for the cup beside him.

"That’s their problem," he said. "Not mine."

Elaina watched him for a second, then sighed softly.

"...You say that, but it still affects how we operate."

Marcus didn’t argue.

Because she wasn’t wrong.

He set the cup down and leaned back slightly.

"...Then we scale with it," he said. "More gear, better prep, tighter control."

Elaina nodded. "But how are you going to procure it?"

"I’ll take care of it once we finish this delivery quest."

Elaina didn’t respond right away.

She held his gaze for a second, then leaned back slightly in her chair, her fingers resting lightly against the table as she thought it through.

"You always say that," she said quietly.

Marcus gave a faint shrug.

"Because I always do."

She studied him again, this time more carefully.

Not just what he said.

But how he said it.

Like the answer already existed and he just hadn’t shown it yet.

That was what bothered her.

"...Marcus," she said after a moment, "the things you use... they’re not just rare."

He didn’t interrupt.

"They’re not even from here," she added.

That made him pause slightly, though it didn’t show much on his face.

Elaina continued, her voice steady.

"That flying machine, the weapons you used against the Red Dragon... the way they work, the materials, the design..."

She shook her head slightly.

"...they don’t match anything in this world."

Marcus leaned back in his chair, letting out a quiet breath.

"...You’ve been thinking about that."

"I have," she said.

A short silence followed.

Not tense.

But heavier now.

Marcus picked up his cup, taking a slow drink before answering.

"...You’re not wrong," he said.

Elaina didn’t move.

She waited.

Because she knew he wasn’t done.

Marcus set the cup down again.

"...But it doesn’t matter where it’s from," he continued. "What matters is that it works."

"That’s not the point," Elaina replied.

Marcus glanced at her.

"...Then what is?"

She leaned forward slightly.

"The point is consistency," she said. "If we’re going to expand, if we’re going to take on bigger contracts, people are going to start asking questions."

Marcus smirked faintly.

"They already are."

"...And your answer?"

Marcus didn’t respond immediately.

He looked away for a second, toward the window, then back at her.

"...Same as always," he said. "It’s magic."

Elaina raised an eyebrow.

"...Magic," she repeated, not fully convinced.

Marcus gave a small shrug, like it wasn’t worth digging deeper into.

"Yeah," he said. "Easiest explanation."

She didn’t argue right away.

Not because she believed it.

But because she understood what he was doing.

Deflecting.

Keeping things simple.

Keeping things closed.

Elaina leaned back slightly in her chair, her fingers tapping lightly against the table as she thought it through.

"...You’re terrible at lying," she said.

Marcus smirked faintly.

"Good thing I’m not lying then."

That made her pause.

For a brief moment, she actually considered it.

Then she shook her head slightly.

"...You’re impossible."

Marcus stood up, brushing off his coat as if the conversation had already ended on his side.

"Maybe," he said. "But I get results."

Elaina watched him move toward the door.

"...That’s not what I’m worried about," she said quietly.

Marcus stopped just short of the door.

Not turning.

"...I know," he replied.

A small silence followed.

Then he pushed the door open.

"I’ll prep the crew," he said. "We move at first light."

Elaina nodded, even though he wasn’t looking.

"Everything will be ready."

Marcus stepped out.

The door closed behind him.