The peace lasted exactly one month.
Julian stood at the window of his home in the First City, watching the Shattered One's song weave through the fabric of reality. The multiverse was stable, its pieces held together by the ancient Weaver's power. The beings of the First City moved through the streets below, their lives filled with purpose and joy.
But something was wrong.
He felt it in the song—a faint tremor, a discordant note that was almost imperceptible. It was like a single thread fraying at the edge of a vast tapestry, too small to notice but dangerous nonetheless.
Sarah found him there, her hand slipping into his. "You feel it too?"
Julian nodded. "Something's changing. The song is weakening. Just a little. But it's there."
Sarah was quiet for a moment. "The Shattered One? Is
