The tension across the territory didn’t fade as the day went on.
It settled.
And somehow that felt worse.
People stopped arguing openly, but the silence that replaced it carried more weight than the shouting ever had. Conversations became quieter, more selective. Groups formed carefully, as if everyone was suddenly aware that choosing the wrong side too early could become dangerous.
Lyra noticed all of it.
“This is the part I hate,” she said quietly as she and Kael walked along the upper paths overlooking the grounds.
Kael glanced at her briefly. “The waiting?”
“The watching,” she corrected. “Everyone pretending things are still stable while deciding where they actually stand.”
Kael’s expression remained calm. “That’s how shifts like this happen.”
Lyra folded her arms slightly aga
