The attention did not arrive with a sound.
It… was simply felt.
Aurelia paused in the middle of the ever-expanding space, sensing how something far vaster was now truly aware of their presence.
Not as a disturbance, nor as a threat, but as something that… was beginning to be accounted for.
The entity beside Aurelia moved slowly.
Its luminous lines tensed, then vibrated in a more complex rhythm, as if trying to read multiple directions all at once.
The units behind held their position, guarding the core.
Yet that core was no longer merely a centre; it was becoming… an anchor amidst the broadening flow.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"This isn't just a connection anymore," he said quietly.
"It feels like… we're being watched from all directions at once."
Orion nodded.
"Multi-point awareness."
Ragnar let out a slow breath.
"Not just one… but many."
Aurelia did not deny it.
For she felt it even more deeply.
This was not a single consciousness.
It was… a collective.
