The moment they moved, the street answered, and It didn't wait this time.
The pressure that had been tightening around Julian shifted sharply, then split, coming at him from more than one direction with a precision that made it clear this was no longer a single pursuit. It was coordination.
Lucian felt it immediately.
His hand closed around Julian's arm again, pulling him forward with controlled force as his attention sharpened across the street.
"Stay with me," he said.
Julian didn't argue, because he felt it too.
The alignment had changed. It no longer tracked him from a single point. It surrounded him, closing distance in layers that moved independently but with shared intent.
They turned into the next street, and the moment they did, the first one appeared, and this time there was no pause, no observation, and no words
A figure stepped out from the side passage with speed that matched Lucian's, closing the distance in a single motion aimed directly at Julian.
