The next morning didn’t feel different at first.
The sun rose the same way.
The forest moved the same way.
The pack spoke the same way.
But Denise felt it the moment she stepped outside.
Something had changed in how people looked at her.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
Awareness.
Like a decision had already been made somewhere without her hearing it.
Liam noticed it too.
He always did.
He fell into step beside her as she crossed the central path.
“You feel it?” he asked quietly.
Denise nodded.
“It’s not as loud as yesterday,” she said. “But it’s… heavier.”
Liam didn’t disagree.
“That’s because they’ve stopped questioning whether it’s real,” he said. “Now they’re deciding what to do with it.”
Denise let that sit for a moment.
“So this is the calm part,” she said.
A faint exhale
