The fourth bell struck, and the mirrored ward turned toward the gate.
For one clear breath, the path matched Wei’s map. The false road shifted aside, showing the narrow approach between two pale stone posts. The opening was no wider than a cart, and the reflected image trembled at its edges.
Yan stood. “Hold the diversion.”
Wei raised one hand to the decoy team. Their red cloth moved again along the lower road. The artillery crews followed it, and the gun barrel turned farther west. The gate remained exposed for a moment.
“I’ll disable the command array,” Yan said. “Don’t follow me into the fold.”
One of the shield carriers took half a step forward. Wei caught his sleeve. “We stay here. We can’t cross that path together.”
The soldier stopped, jaw tight. Yan understood the impulse. The open gate looked close enough to reach, but the ward had already shown them how it could bend a straight road into a dead end. “Keep the aqueduct clear,” Yan said. “If I make an opening, you’ll see the signal.”
He ran.
