The pulse did not fade immediately.It lingered in the water like an echo trapped between currents, subtle yet impossible to ignore.
Even after the palace stabilized again, I could still feel it brushing against my senses; soft, patient, aware and watching.
Azarus did not release my hand.
His grip remained firm as his gaze searched the distant darkness beyond Oceania's protective borders.
The calm expression he wore before others returned, but I knew him well enough now to recognize the tension beneath it.
The emperor was calculating,planning and
Preparing for the unknown.
And somehow… that made me more nervous than the tremor itself.
"Is it going to keep doing that?" I asked quietly.
His thumb moved slightly against my palm, grounding me before he answered.
"Yes."
Not comforting.
Just honest.
