Leaving the core did not feel like they were done with it. It did not feel like they had finished something and could move on. Instead, it felt like they had stopped in the middle of something that still needed an answer. The structure behind them did not change as they walked away. It did not close, and it did not react. It stayed the same, which made it harder to ignore.
Aurelion walked at the front, but his pace was slower than before. It was not because he was tired or being careful. His focus had turned inward. The connection he had formed earlier was still there. It was not strong in a way that forced him to act, but it was steady, like something that had settled into him.
Sally walked beside him, calm on the outside, but still tense. She did not look back at the core, but it was clear she was thinking about it. The feeling of that place did not stay behind. It followed them, even as they moved further away from it.
