I stare out the window of the Institute, my hands gripping the edge of the stone sill until my knuckles whiten. The New York skyline stretches before me, but I barely see it. All I can focus on is the empty feeling in the air—the absence of Magnus' magic that used to hum like a second heartbeat between us.

Three weeks. It's been three weeks since he made that bargain with Asmodeus, three weeks since he returned without the spark that defines him, that makes him whole. The Shadow World has no answers. The Clave offers condolences and nothing more, their hands tied by centuries of tradition and fear.

But I'm done with tradition. I'm done with fear.

The door to my office creaks open behind me, and I don't need to turn to know it's Lindsay. Her presence is marked by the soft click of her keyboard case and the faint scent of jasmine tea she always carries.

"You asked for me, sir?" Her voice is hesitant, as if she knows what I'm about to propose.

I turn, crossing my arms over my chest. "I need something非常规的 (unconventional). Something off the books."

Lindsay sets her case on the desk, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Sir, if this is about..."

"It's about Magnus," I interrupt, the words tight in my throat. "The Shadow World has failed him. The Clave won't help. So I'm going outside the box."

She tilts her head, waiting for me to continue. Lindsay has always been one of the more open-minded Shadowhunters, her work monitoring mundane technology giving her a broader perspective than most.

"I need to find someone who thinks differently," I explain. "Someone who doesn't see 'impossible' when it comes to taking back what was stolen."

Understanding dawns in her eyes, followed immediately by concern. "You're talking about mundane thieves."

"I'm talking about experts," I correct, though she's not wrong. "The best in their field. People who can get into places no one else can, who can outsmart systems designed to keep them out."

Lindsay opens her mouth, then closes it again. For a long moment, she just looks at me, and I can see the battle waging behind her eyes—between duty to the Clave and compassion for what Magnus is going through.

Finally, she sighs, reaching for her laptop. "There's a group," she admits quietly. "Not just thieves—they call themselves 'modern day Robin Hoods.' They help people who can't go to the police."

"And they have experience with... supernatural situations?"

She shakes her head, opening her laptop. "But one of them is Sighted. Has been on our radar for years, but never caused any trouble. Just... observes."

Hope flickers to life in my chest, a small flame I thought had been extinguished. "Can you get in contact with them?"

Lindsay meets my gaze, her expression serious. "If I do this, if they agree... you know what this means, right? You'll be breaking at least a dozen Clave laws."

I nod, already knowing I'd burn the Clave to the ground if it meant getting Magnus' magic back. "I'm aware of the risks."

"And if this goes wrong? If Asmodeus finds out?"

"Then we deal with Asmodeus," I say simply, though my heart races at the thought. "But I have to try something that isn't just begging a Greater Demon for mercy."

Lindsay stares at me for a long moment, then nods, her fingers beginning to move across the keyboard. "I'll send the message. But Alec... be careful what you wish for. Once you open this door, you can't close it again."

I know she's right. But as I think of Magnus sitting alone in his apartment, trying to navigate a world without the magic that has defined him for centuries, I realize I don't care. Some doors are worth opening, no matter the consequences.