The hesitation was brief.
But noticeable.
Emily felt it like a crack in pressure.
“…Did it just—pause?” she whispered.
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Yes.”
Theodore’s shadows shifted.
“Unexpected.”
The entity didn’t move.
But the grid did.
The lines brightened slightly, adjusting.
Recalibrating.
Emily’s stomach tightened.
“…I think I broke something,” she said.
Kael glanced at her.
“That’s not new.”
Emily shot her a look. “That’s not reassuring!”
The grid pulsed again.
But this time—
It changed direction.
Instead of pressing inward—
It expanded outward.
Emily blinked. “…Wait—what’s it doing now?”
Theodore’s expression darkened.
“Redirecting.”
Kael’s voice dropped.
“To what?”
Theodore didn’t answer immediately.
Then—
“Everything.”
The room trembled faintly.
N
