They did not call themselves a faction.
They did not declare separation.
They did not issue manifestos.
They just… stopped checking in.
Three enhanced wolves from Western territory.
Two from Southern.
One from Alpine.
No dramatic exit.
No ideological statement.
Just a shift in participation.
Circles still met.
Stability still held.
Resonance still hummed.
But the edges were fraying.
Miguel felt it before anyone else.
“It’s not hostile,” he said quietly during a circle call.
“Then what is it?” I asked.
“They’re practicing without us.”
That landed differently.
“Practicing what?” Catherine asked.
“Deep alignment,” he said.
The phrase made my pulse slow.
Deep alignment was something we had explicitly avoided formalizing.
Not because it was unstable.
But because it requi
