Five days of quiet broke when a stranger walked out of the far song threads at midday and every bird in the garden went silent at once.
I was helping Voss mark new practice spots when the change hit. The air itself seemed to lean toward the outer edge. Julian’s hand found my arm before I could speak.
“You feel that?”
“Yeah. Not heat. Something else.”
We walked fast. Kael and Neri met us halfway, faces tight but not afraid.
Kael spoke first. “One person. Alone. Came through the old song boundary. No weapons. Hands open. Asked for the center by name.”
Neri added, “Water reaches felt the shift too. Not dangerous. Just new.”
Julian kept his voice low. “We meet them in the open. Clear ground near the center grass. Kids stay in the quiet grove with double watchers.”
People moved without
