Back at the attic, a low hum of intrigue and anticipation filled the air. Gusts of wind tapped at the window, and the wooden floor creaked gently beneath their weight. It was a moment of rare calm before the storm, where thoughts needed sorting, plans needed refining.

Fenric broke the silence first, eyeing Viktor and Arelos with curiosity. "So, you two gonna spill the story with this Rogos fellow or what? That name got a real rise outta ya back there," he said, a playful note in his voice.

Viktor exchanged a knowing glance with Arelos. “You could say that,” Viktor replied. “He swindled us out of some coin a while back. Put on a friendly face, but he’s just a cheat.”

"That man," Arelos interjected, a sharpness cutting through his usual reserved tone. "Complete scoundrel. Deserves whatever’s coming to him, and then some."

Viktor let out a short laugh, raising an eyebrow in Arelos's direction. "This vengeful side of yours, Arelos," he remarked with playful intrigue, "kind of suits you, surprisingly."

Arelos merely shrugged, his expression offering no further comment.

Fenric’s eyes lit up with a spark of excitement. “So it's personal, eh? Those're the ones I like. Makes 'em worth doing,” he said, not bothering to hide his enthusiasm.

Arelos took a deep breath, glancing around at the others, gauging their readiness. "Alright, we've committed ourselves to this task, or at least I have. I'm almost certain we don't want to cross Faros isn't someone we want to cross. This isn't something we can back out of now. It's either we follow through or leave the city altogether," he said, his voice steady and full of resolve. "If anyone wants out, now's your last chance".

The boys exchanged glances, a moment of silent communication passing between them. Fenric and Soren gave each other a firm nod, their expressions determined. Viktor met each of their eyes, feeling a shared sense of purpose and understanding settle among them. "We're all in," he said, his voice carrying the weight of their decision.

Arelos nodded, satisfied with their response. "Alright, but this means we have to be methodical about this task. We need to plan carefully, prepare ourselves thoroughly, and carry out the plan with precision. Everyone needs to contribute and commit fully. Any mistake could spell disaster. Understood?"

No one raised any objections, the air tense with the gravity of their decision. Arelos took that as the signal to continue, his mind already mapping out the steps they needed to take. "Faros gave us a lot of useful information. But we can't take it all at face value." He glanced at Viktor, who was listening intently. "We should start by confirming as much of the intel as we can before we take action. We've got only seven days to pull this off, and I doubt we have any leeway with that. "

Viktor nodded, taking in Arelos's words with a grave expression. "What do you need us to do?" he asked, ready to jump into action.

"For starters," Arelos said, turning his attention to the twins, "You two know the alleyways and routes better than any of us. I need you to surveil Rogos' place. Look for routine patterns—possible guard rotation or patrols. I also want a general count of the manor's occupants and staff. We can't afford surprises when the time comes."

Fenric smiled, nudging Soren. "Finally, something we're good at,” he said with a little too much enthusiasm, earning a quick nudge in return from Soren—a silent reminder to stay serious.

With their roles assigned, Viktor turned his attention back to Arelos, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "And what about me?" he inquired, eager to ensure he had his part to play in their unfolding plan.

Arelos leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "We'll likely hit this place late at night. According to Faros, the kitchen door's our easiest entry point, but there’s a lock."

Soren piped up, a hint of doubt in his voice. "I won't lie, neither me nor Fen can crack a lock under pressure, especially with guards around. Takes time, mate. Could be a dealbreaker."

Viktor's lips curled into a confident smile. "Don't stress it. I’ll handle the lock."

Arelos nodded, a hint of satisfaction crossing his face. "How's your time with that oak door back there?" he asked, gesturing towards the sturdy door that was practically a permanent fixture of their attic hideout.

All eyes shifted to the door, then back to Viktor. He met Arelos’s gaze evenly. "Four seconds flat," Viktor answered, his voice steady.

Arelos gave an approving nod. "Well done," he said, words clipped but genuine. "See if you can shave that down to three seconds. You never know when a second might count."

Fenric snorted incredulously, folding his arms. "Oh, come on! Four seconds? Even a master lockpick ain't getting through that kind of lock in that time. What's the secret? You gonna sweet-talk the lock open, Vik?"

Viktor merely shrugged, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "Something like that."

Arelos shot Fenric a sharp look, corralling the conversation back to focus. "Don’t doubt him. If he says he can do it, he can do it."

Fenric raised his hands in mock surrender, a chuckle escaping him. "Alright, alright. Color me impressed, Viktor. If you can do it, by all means, work your 'charm'."

Arelos leaned against the window, mapping strategies and plans in his mind. "We've got the basic plan, but we need to keep it simple when entering," he began. "Only two of us should go inside. The more people, the higher the risk of something going wrong. Viktor, you need to go in since we can't risk running into locks we can't open. As for our second person, do either of you wish to volunteer given your prior experience?" His sharp gaze shifted to the twins, the question clearly meant for them.

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Fenric immediately stepped forward. "I'll go with Viktor," he said confidently, a grin spreading across his face.

Arelos nodded, acknowledging Fenric's eagerness. "Alright, but that means you two are taking the most risk," he warned, meeting Viktor and Fenric's determined gazes. "Soren and I will be outside. We'll act as lookouts and create distractions when needed."

Viktor gave a steady nod. "Sounds good to me."

Soren nodded along, though a hint of concern flickered across his face. "Yeah, I'm good," he said, his voice steady but slightly nervous.

There was a slight shift in Fenric's demeanor as he asked, "So, we’re only supposed to grab the letter, right? But what if we spot some valuable bits around?"

It took Arelos a moment to respond, clearly weighing the risks. "Technically, yes, Faros doesn't mind if more goes missing," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "But the longer you stay in there, the greater the risk. So don’t go hunting for trouble."

Fenric's grin indicated he'd heard what he wanted, and he simply nodded, accepting the cautionary advice without dispute.

Viktor looked around at his friends, ready for the challenge that lay ahead. "What’s our next step?" he asked, eager to get the ball rolling.

Arelos considered Viktor’s question for a moment before answering, “Fenric, Soren, you two focus on keeping a close watch on the manor. See if you can pick up on any routines or patterns. We'll need every advantage we can get.”

The twins exchanged a look, clearly eager for the task. “We’ll get it done, Arelos,” Soren assured with a confident nod. Fenric added, “Yeah, we’ll be like shadows, won’t even know we’re there.”

“Good,” Arelos replied, glancing at Viktor. “And you, Viktor, keep shaving time off that door lock. Every second saved is a second we don’t have to worry about.”

Viktor nodded, determination setting his features. “I’ll get faster, Arelos. Count on it.”

Satisfied with the initial plan, Arelos stood up and stretched, his gaze sweeping over the group. I'll head to the market and get us some hoods to keep our identities under wraps,” he added. “Every bit of preparation counts.”

The group shared a moment of silent understanding, the gravity of their task setting in. Each knew their roles, their tasks spelled out clearly before them.

"Right then," Viktor said, breaking the silence with a determined nod. "Let's not waste any time. We’ve only got seven days to make this happen."

Fenric and Soren shared a quick glance before turning their focus back to the group. "We'll check in daily," Fenric promised, his voice laced with confidence. "Soon as we catch wind of anything useful, you'll know."

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The next few days passed in a busy blur, an atmosphere of anticipation enveloping the attic. Fenric and Soren dedicated most of their time to surveillance, covering the early evening until late at night to gather as much information as possible. Although Viktor worried about their impatient nature, the twins proved themselves diligent, taking their responsibilities seriously.

Meanwhile, Arelos spent his days wisely, adjusting their plan based on the twins' findings and discretely inquiring about the Morgavos family at the temple, hoping to unearth useful tidbits. Although he doubted much of the gathered information would be beneficial, he reasoned that any small detail might prove crucial.

This left Viktor primarily to himself, with ample time to practice with his powers in solitude. It wasn't lost on him that since Fenric and Soren had become intertwined with their lives, he'd barely used his abilities at all. Yet, to Viktor's surprise, he found that his powers felt more potent, sharper, like the time away had allowed them to mature quietly in the background of his mind. The attic's oak door became his repeated challenge, unlocking and relocking it faster with each try. He found that he was now capable of moving the door’s pins with startling speed, manipulating them with an ease that felt as natural as breathing.

"Two seconds," Viktor noted aloud, wiping sweat from his brow with a sense of satisfaction. Today marked the fourth day of preparations, and they had agreed tomorrow was the day they'd carry out the plan. He sank down into the wooden chair they had liberated from the locked attic room the day they first opened it.

Viktor's brief moment of rest was shattered by the sound of the attic window being nudged open. He turned to see Arelos climbing through, his entrance accompanied by a gust of the brisk air that swept into the small space.

"Did you find anything useful at the temple?" Viktor asked, curiosity piqued as he straightened up in his chair, shaking off the remnants of his exhaustion.

Arelos, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, finally replied, "I'm not sure how useful it is, but I did hear something interesting. Apparently, Rogos doesn't see eye to eye with his father, the Morgavos patriarch. That might explain why he's in league with a thieving guild, rather than relying on his family's network."

Viktor considered this new information, a thoughtful frown creasing his forehead. "I suppose that's good for us, right? If something goes wrong during the job, he's less likely to have his family's resources at his disposal."

Arelos nodded slightly, acknowledging Viktor's point. "That might be true," he agreed, "but let's not assume that he's short for resources. He's still got plenty of his own connections."

Viktor nodded in agreement, the weight of Arelos's caution not lost on him. A brief silence settled over them before Arelos broke it with a question. "How's it going with the door practice?"

Viktor grinned as he rose to his feet, making his way to the well-worn door. He rattled the handle to confirm it was locked and then flicked his wrist. Almost instantly, the lock clicked open. Viktor turned back to Arelos, his grin wide and pleased. "I don't know, you tell me?" he said, satisfaction evident in his voice.

Arelos let out an appreciative whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. "Bloody... that's what, less than two seconds?"

Viktor chuckled, the compliment boosting his confidence even further. "Honestly, I was worried I'd struggle seeing how I haven't used it much with the twins around and all that."

Arelos regarded him seriously. "You do realize they're going to figure it out after tomorrow, right? You've been dropping hints ever since that game of dice, and Soren's already got his suspicions."

Viktor sighed, meeting Arelos's eyes with a hint of resignation. "Yeah, it's time to tell them," he admitted. "I don't know why I've waited so long. Considering they already know about my past, telling them I'm a mage isn't going to put any more of a target on my back than what I've already got.”

Arelos nodded, a wry smile playing on his lips. "That's true," he agreed. "And watching Fenric's reaction—now that'll be something."

Viktor chuckled at the thought. "I'm almost more excited about that than the job itself," he confessed, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Fenric thinks he's seen it all. This will give him a real kick."

Arelos looked amused, a rare softening in his usual serious demeanor. "Just make sure he doesn't get any ideas," he cautioned. "The last thing we need is him thinking he can scheme his way into wizardry."

Viktor laughed, picturing the absurdity. "I can totally see him trying to sneak into the capital's academy, thinking he could swipe some magic off a student without them noticing," Viktor said, shaking his head fondly at the ridiculous thought.

The room filled with laughter as the boys shared the joke, their camaraderie a brief respite from the gravity of their plans. But as their mirth subsided, the reality of their situation settled back in.

Arelos straightened, the seriousness of their task at hand rising to the surface once more. "Tomorrow night is the time we go for it," he reminded, his tone turning solemn.

Viktor met his gaze with equal gravity. "We've got this, Arelos," he assured, determination steeling his voice.

The two shared a moment of understanding, their commitment to their plan unwavering.