They didn't return to the safety of the main hall.
Mo Tian's hand shot out, a silent barrier across the corridor that brought them to a grinding halt. The air here felt different, thinner, charged with a static that made the fine hairs on Lan Yue's arms stand up.
"Change of plans," Mo Tian said, his voice dropping to a gravelly low. "We shift positions now."
Lan Yue's brow knit together. "Why? The warding in the chamber is the strongest in the sect."
"Because it's already mapped that room," Mo Tian replied, his gaze tracking something invisible in the rafters. "It's watching the places where we congregate. To stay there is to sit in a trap."
A cold realization settled in Lan Yue's chest. She exhaled, a shaky puff of air. "Right. Of course. It's learning our habits."
