Deadman came to the Origin Core Shrine while the world was still bleeding.
Lucien noticed him immediately.
But noticing was not the same as turning.
The map demanded too much.
Lucien's Parallel Thoughts moved.
Orders went out.
The commands passed through communication devices and the Grace System.
The map shifted.
Some lights steadied. Some dimmed. Some went out.
Deadman watched the dimming lights.
His face changed each time.
His eyes moved differently whenever a marker vanished.
At first, Lucien thought he was watching the war.
Then another report came.
A small faction in the Middle Continent had ignored a warning and charged into a Keeper trap.
The formation collapsed.
Five markers dimmed. Then twelve. Then the whole cluster went dark.
Deadman closed his eyes.
Lucien finally split one thought toward him.
"What happened?"
Deadman opened his eyes.
For a moment, he did not answer.
Then he looked at the map again.
