Selena drew in a slow breath. This time, it was their turn to speak, and Leon could tell from the way her fingers trembled in Dayton's grasp that the story weighed heavier than any wound.
"I'll explain everything to you, dear."
Dayton tightened his hold on her hands, grounding her. He didn't interrupt. He just nodded, a silent reassurance that she wasn't alone, even if what she was about to dig up had been buried for a reason.
Selena's gaze drifted, unfocused, as if she were looking past Leon and into another time.
"It started six months ago," she said quietly.
"Trial takers began getting ejected from their trials. At first, we thought it was a malfunction. Isolated incidents. Nothing more."
Leon listened without moving, every word etched into him.
"Then it got worse," she continued. "Teleportation pads stopped responding. Entire shelters went dark. Not long after that… the altars themselves failed."
Her voice tightened.
