It didn't arrive.
It was already there.
That was the first thing Adrian realized.
The ripple that spread across the space wasn't something new entering the world—it was something that had always existed, only now becoming… noticeable.
And that—
Was far more dangerous.
Adrian didn't move.
Not because he couldn't.
Because moving didn't matter.
The presence wasn't tied to space.
It wasn't bound by structure.
It didn't follow the rules of either system.
And for the first time since his transformation—
Adrian couldn't immediately understand it.
Lyra broke the silence first.
"…Yeah, I don't like this."
Kaelith's voice followed instantly.
"No identifiable pattern."
A pause.
"…No detectable origin."
Seraphine whispered.
"…It feels… empty…"
Aria frowned.
"…But it's there…"
Elara didn't speak.
Her gaze was fixed forward.
Focused.
"…It's not empty."
A pause.
"…It's undefined."
That—
Was worse.
The fractured entity moved slightly.
For the first time—
Cautious.
