The first fracture did not come from the Dominion.
It did not come from Gregory.
It did not come from the Court.
It came from someone who chose not to leave.
Elise returned.
Not to the circles.
Not to the Institute.
To me.
She stood in the courtyard just before dusk, wind tugging at her hair, eyes clear and steady.
“You stepped away,” she said.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t try to pull us back.”
“No.”
“You didn’t try to define us.”
“No.”
She studied me for a long moment.
“That matters.”
I didn’t answer immediately.
“Why are you here?” I asked gently.
“Because something’s wrong.”
The words did not carry panic.
They carried observation.
“What kind of wrong?”
“Not with us.”
“With who?”
“The quiet.”
I felt it then.
Subtle.
A slight thinning in the air.
Not resonance.
Not dam
