The chamber didn't react to their readiness.
The trigger continued its steady pulse, patient and exact, shard-lines feeding into it from every direction like veins converging on a quiet heart. There was no alarm, no resistance, no sense of urgency imposed from the system itself. If anything, it felt almost cooperative, as if it assumed whatever came next would be permission rather than interference.
Selene stepped half a pace closer, eyes tracking the flow with unwavering focus. "Three lines," she said quietly. "Not at once. In sequence. This one first."
Noel followed her gaze to a thin shard-conduit embedded beneath the lattice's surface, barely distinguishable from the rest unless you knew what you were looking for.
"No magic surge," she added. "Just enough to sever the connection. If you overload it, the system will try to compensate."
He nodded once.
