Lincoln's POV:
The Pale Verge taught me something.
That time wasn’t fragile.
It was stubborn.
It bent. It thinned. It screamed under pressure—but it didn't give up unless it was forced to. And even then, it tried to knit itself back together with whatever scraps remained.
That realization stuck with me as we left the Verge behind-temporarily-and headed back to the outer anchors, where waiting Council support teams stood vigil, silent and still.
Our way back was smoother than entering before.
That in and of itself was a warning.
It was quicker on the uptake now.
Duskbane greeted us with people roaming around and happiness is visible to their faces.
The instant my boots stepped across the city's threshold, the difference hit me—magic normalized, time flowed cleanly, and gravity obe
