The signal stopped the moment they crossed into the trench's shadow.
Elias felt it first as a pressure behind his eyes, like a hand squeezing his skull. He winced, one hand flying to his temple. Around him, the children gasped—a collective intake of breath, followed by a silence so deep it felt like drowning.
"What is that?" Ava whispered. She had Isaac pressed against her side, her face pale in the gray light.
Lyra stood at the bow of the lead inflatable, her small body rigid. "The signal. It's not broadcast anymore. It's... inside us. Like a heartbeat."
Elias shook off the pain and looked around. The sea had changed. The water was darker here, almost black, as if the light itself refused to penetrate. The sky above was overcast, heavy with clouds the color of bruises. No birds. No wa
