The call was different this time.
Julian felt it the moment he woke—a presence that was not demanding, not pleading, not inviting. It was simply there. Patient. Watching. Waiting. It was like a shadow that had always been cast, a silence that had always existed.
Sarah felt it too. She sat up beside him, her eyes wide with recognition. "It's them. The ones who have been watching. The ones who have been waiting."
Julian turned to look at her. "You know who they are?"
Sarah nodded slowly. "I remember now. From my past life. There were beings who existed before the Architects. Before the Veil. Before everything. They were the first watchers. The first witnesses. They have been waiting for the multiverse to heal."
Julian felt the cold knot tighten. "Why? What do they want?"
Sarah shook he
