Lincoln POV:
The stairs beneath Ember Square didn't feel ancient.
Each step response to our weight as we walk down.
The Chrono-Forge warmed against my side.
Steady.
Contained.
Not burning out of control, as before.
Ayaana noticed immediately.
“You’re stable,” she murmured, walking close beside me. Her green aura threaded faintly beneath her skin, blossoms flickering along her sleeves as her magic synced gently to my pulse.
“I think so,” I said. “Or at least… functional.”
A slight smile touched her lips.
Behind us, the team walk into formation naturally. Amir’s voice didn’t need to command—we knew our places. His presence still shaped our spacing, though, anchoring our movement into a precise rhythm.
Sky walked ahead, constellation lines swirling faintly around his boots. He ke
