Chapter 49: Blueprint for the Dead
The forest around them was quiet, the wind rustling through the leaves like whispers from forgotten souls. In a clearing shaded by tall pines, Noah knelt on one knee and placed a shimmering crystal disk onto the ground. A soft hum echoed as an arcane pattern lit up beneath it, projecting a three-dimensional magical map of a sprawling estate ahead.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Okay, this isn’t just a normal map. Where the hell did you get this?"
Noah didn’t even glance at her. "Let’s just say I know someone who owed me a favor."
"Liar," she muttered, folding her arms. "But fine."
Lys knelt nearby, surrounded by a faint glow as her three spirits — Gaia, Aqua, and Fire — floated protectively around her. She tilted her head as she studied the rotating blueprint.
"This place is enormous..."
Noah pointed to the outer perimeter. "We’ll enter from the rear garden. Least amount of patrols, no necrotic mist."
He traced a path through the estate. "First floor has magical constructs — bone dogs and bonewatchers. Second floor, a cursed hallway and a binding chamber, probably where they trap failed summons. Third floor is her sanctum. The crypt levels are underneath. Most of the undead will be sealed below unless she’s already begun a ritual."
Cordelia whistled low. "You sound like you’ve been there."
He shrugged. "A few reports, some personal digging. Lucky guesses."
Lys stared at him with wide eyes. "You really know all that from ’a favor’?"
