They were halfway down the corridor when it passed through.
No sound. No tremor. Just a sudden weight in the air. Like something big had moved somewhere deep below the floor, and the world was trying to pretend it hadn't noticed.
Merlin stopped walking.
Elara stopped at the same time. Her stance shifted barely an inch, but he saw the change.
Nathan kept going. One more step before he noticed they weren't following.
He turned, confused. "What now?"
Neither of them answered.
Merlin's focus narrowed. He could feel it, like static in the air, except colder. Thinner. Like something had peeled a layer of the world back and let the silence stretch a little too far.
Nathan frowned. "Okay. That was weird."
Merlin didn't look at him. His eyes stayed forward, tuned to the space between tiles and the quiet beneath the floor. The pulse was already fading, but it left a trail. Not physical. Just presence. Residue.
It felt like a gap had opened and then closed just as fast.
