When Loyalty Turns Inward
North Ridge did not erupt.
It cracked.
The first sign was subtle. Patrol rotations altered without announcement. Senior Betas deferred less. Younger Alphas lingered after meetings, exchanging looks that carried more calculation than respect.
Lucien felt it long before anyone voiced it.
"They are circling," he said quietly as we stood at the edge of the training grounds. "Not to attack. To measure."
Cassian joined us, expression thoughtful. "That is how dissent survives. By pretending it is curiosity."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "North Ridge has never questioned command like this."
"Because command has never stepped back before," I replied.
Lucien did not look at me. "I did not step back."
"You changed posture," Cassian corrected. "To them, that is retreat."
The chains inside me stirred faintly, reacting not to danger, but to proximity. Lucien's bond was strained, stretched between loyalty and the weight of example.
A summons arrived before noon.
