The room of deferred cases fell quiet after the Collector's presence receded.
Not relief.
Just the absence of immediate danger.
Jessica still felt the echo of pressure in her skull __ the sensation of something
enormous brushing against the edges of her identity and deciding, for now, not to
crush it.
her hand remained wrapped around Micah's.
Mara's wrist was still in Jessica's other hand.
The chain of contact held.
After a moment Mara gently pulled away.
"That's enough," she said quietly. "The system has moved on."
Jessica released her.
Micah flexed his fingers but didn't step far from her.
The habit was already forming.
Anchoring.
Jessica exhaled slowly.
"So clusters work."
Mara nodded.
"They create hesitation."
"Why?"
"Because the system prefers clean equations," Ma
