The projections above the academy remained active long after midnight, and as the fractured images of the northeastern sectors continued flickering across the sky for every student and noble delegation to witness directly, the atmosphere throughout the academy changed permanently, because whatever uncertainty had existed before was gone now.
The threat was real.
Visible.
Approaching.
Kael stood near the eastern terrace railing in silence while the distant distortion fields pulsed faintly against the horizon, and beneath the cold night wind moving through the academy structures, he could feel something else now.
Pressure.
Not direct.
Not oppressive.
But growing steadily with every passing hour.
Aren eventually let out a quiet breath beside him.
"…I don't think anyone's sleeping tonight."
He wasn't wrong.
Below them, countless lights still burned throughout the academy districts while deployment teams continued preparing for departure across the eastern operational sectors.
The academy had entered full mobilization.
Selene leaned lightly against the outer railing nearby, her golden eyes fixed toward the projections overhead.
"The clans are already sending messengers north."
Hammer nodded once.
"The Deepforge halls too."
Cassian crossed his arms slightly.
"…The continent's going to panic once this spreads publicly."
Elian answered calmly.
"It already has."
Silence followed.
Because the races gathered inside the academy represented only the highest-level delegations.
If they already knew—
Then information was likely spreading far beyond the academy walls already.
Lyra suddenly looked toward the lower eastern corridor where several instructors were approaching quickly through the terrace pathways.
"…Someone's coming."
Kael turned.
The lead operational instructor from earlier stepped onto the terrace alongside two academy officials dressed in darker combat robes marked with silver command insignias.
Not ceremonial.
Military.
Immediately, the atmosphere shifted.
Aren straightened slightly.
"…That doesn't look good."
The instructor's gaze moved directly toward Kael's group.
"You're all still here."
Cassian answered first.
"…We were monitoring the projections."
The instructor nodded once.
"Good."
Then—
Without hesitation—
"The deployment schedule has changed."
Silence settled instantly.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…How?"
The instructor answered calmly.
"The source region accelerated again twenty minutes ago."
Of course it did.
Aren rubbed his face slowly.
"…I'm honestly getting tired of hearing that."
One of the silver-robed officials stepped forward next, unfolding a smaller projection map between them.
The northeastern sectors appeared immediately.
But now—
Several regions previously marked stable had turned dark.
Unreachable.
Lyra's expression sharpened.
"…Sector collapse."
The official nodded once.
"Transport continuity failed across four routes simultaneously."
Draven crossed his arms slightly.
"…Meaning the source interrupted movement directly."
"…Yes."
Kael looked carefully at the map.
The academy's operational pathways were shrinking.
Not gradually.
Rapidly.
The source wasn't simply expanding anymore.
It was isolating territory.
The instructor finally looked directly toward Kael.
"Your group's assignment changed with the new deployment."
Aren frowned.
"…Please tell me that means less danger for once."
No one reacted.
Which answered the question immediately.
The instructor continued.
"The second operational team failed to establish a stabilization route beyond sector fourteen."
Silence.
Then—
Cassian's expression changed slightly.
"…They failed?"
The official answered quietly.
"The environmental overlap progressed faster than expected."
Elian's silver eyes narrowed faintly.
"…Overlap zones already reached sector fourteen?"
Hammer's expression darkened slightly.
"That's impossible at this speed."
Apparently—
Not anymore.
The instructor activated another layer of the projection.
A smaller route appeared branching through unstable terrain toward the eastern side of the collapse region.
"…A temporary corridor remains active here."
Kael studied it carefully.
Narrow.
Unstable.
Dangerously close to the expanding distortion fields.
Lyra understood immediately.
"…You want reconnaissance before the corridor closes."
The instructor nodded once.
"Correct."
Aren stared at the projection.
"…That route looks horrible."
Draven answered calmly.
"…Which is why few teams can navigate it."
The official finally spoke again.
"The academy needs updated convergence data before committing large-scale deployment further east."
Kael already understood the implication.
The academy was losing visibility.
If they couldn't map the overlap progression accurately—
Then entire operational teams could disappear inside unstable sectors without warning.
Selene looked toward the projection carefully.
"…How long until the corridor collapses?"
The instructor answered immediately.
"Unknown."
A pause.
"But recent estimates suggest less than twelve hours."
Silence followed again.
Because that meant one thing.
They would move before dawn.
Aren exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah. I had a feeling tonight was going too calmly."
The instructor's gaze moved across the group.
"This mission is reconnaissance priority only. Avoid prolonged engagement. Observe overlap progression. Confirm stabilization viability."
Cassian frowned slightly.
"…And if we encounter convergence activity?"
The silver-robed official answered.
"You retreat immediately."
That answer alone felt wrong.
Because until now—
Every assignment had involved interruption.
Containment.
Engagement.
But now—
The academy's priority had become information.
That meant the situation had grown dangerous enough that even combat was no longer considered reliable.
Kael looked once more toward the fractured northeastern horizon.
"…When do we leave?"
The instructor answered simply.
"One hour."
No one argued.
Because there was nothing left to argue about.
The operational staff departed immediately afterward, leaving the terrace quiet once more beneath the flickering projections overhead.
Aren stared at the route map still lingering faintly in the air.
"…I really hate missions with time limits."
Selene pushed herself away from the railing slowly.
"The corridor won't remain stable long."
Hammer nodded once.
"…Then preparation matters more than rest."
Cassian looked toward Kael.
"…You realize this is the furthest we've been sent yet."
Kael answered calmly.
"Yes."
And this time—
There would likely be no controlled fallback if things went wrong.
Lyra folded her arms slightly.
"…The overlap zones concern me more than the entities now."
Draven nodded quietly.
"…Because the environment itself becomes hostile."
Elian remained silent for several moments before finally speaking again.
"The old records described one warning repeatedly."
Everyone looked toward him.
The elf's silver eyes reflected the fractured projections overhead as he spoke quietly.
"When the overlap deepens…"
A pause.
"…Trusting your senses becomes dangerous."
Aren stared at him.
"…That's somehow the worst thing you've said all night."
No one disagreed.
Far beyond the academy walls, the distorted sky pulsed once more.
Closer this time.
And Kael understood clearly now.
Tomorrow's mission would not simply push them deeper into dangerous territory.
It would push them into places where even reality itself could no longer be trusted completely.
And somewhere beyond those collapsing sectors—
The source continued waiting.