The reunion had ended, and Yeon had returned to her team with a clarity she had not possessed before.
She had given them the instruction before she left for the reunion — a pre-planned deployment, the team briefed on routes and targets, Rose holding the operational authority in her absence. When Yeon returned, the team was three dungeons into a rotation she had designed to maximize their individual growth while she was unavailable. They had, in her estimation, executed it well. She reviewed the logs, noted two minor inefficiencies in their formation during the second dungeon's boss fight, and filed corrections for the next briefing.
She gathered them in the common room of their guild quarters—fifteen faces, ranging from bored to curious to quietly apprehensive—and told them she would be stepping back. Not leaving. Stepping back. The distinction mattered, and she made sure they understood it.
