Consciousness did not arrive with a sound.
It came… as a weight that slowly settled.
Aurelia felt it as her steps ventured deeper into the core of the living layer.
Not a pressure that forced itself upon her
But a responsibility that could not be ignored.
The entity beside Aurelia moved slower than before.
Its lines of light were no longer merely reading or responding
It was as if… it was feeling along with them.
The units behind maintained the core
Yet now the core felt different
Vaster
As if it no longer belonged solely to them.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"It is changing again," he said softly.
"It is not just us who are learning… we are also starting to leave an impact."
Orion nodded.
"Every step we take… enters into this system."
Ragnar exhaled.
"So everything we do… will become a part of this."
Aurelia did not answer immediately.
Because she felt it deeper than mere observation
She walked slowly.
And there
She felt something that made her stop
