The city didn't feel the same anymore.
It wasn't something most people would notice. To them, everything moved as usual—cars passing, lights flickering, conversations blending into the background noise of everyday life.
But to Jovian and the others, something had shifted.
They weren't just reacting anymore.
They were being pulled.
"Three locations," Alaric said, placing a map on the table.
They had regrouped in an abandoned building they had started using as a base. It wasn't much, but it was hidden—and right now, that mattered more than comfort.
"These disturbances started appearing after the rail yard incident," he continued. "All within the same time frame."
Lucien leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Fragments again?"
Alaric nodded. "Most likely."
Iggy let out a quiet sigh. "So we split up and deal with them?"
Jovian shook his head immediately.
"No."
The others looked at him.
"We've already seen what happens when we underestimate this," Jovian said. "Those weren't random manifestations. They were connected."
Lucien's expression sharpened slightly. "You think they're coordinated."
"I think they're being directed," Jovian replied.
Silence followed.
Alaric considered that. "…Then splitting up would be exactly what he wants."
"Exactly," Jovian said.
Iggy rolled his shoulders. "So we go together and deal with them one by one."
"Yeah," Jovian replied. "And we don't rush it."
Lucien pushed himself off the wall. "…Then we start with the closest."