The sky did not split open.
It compressed.
The sharp lines above the city drew inward toward a single point, as if something enormous was pushing against an invisible wall from the other side.
People in the streets could feel the change in the atmosphere before they even saw it.
The air grew heavy. Not hot. Not cold. Just dense, like breathing through thick fabric.
Windows vibrated softly.
Car alarms began going off one by one all over the place.
Inside the facility, every alarm triggered at once.
Elira's hands moved quickly over the console. "Energy levels are rising too fast. It's not stabilizing for entry."
Sereth's projection flickered violently.
"It is trying to force a breach."
Hollen's voice came through, tight and sharp. "Evacuate the city center."
"It's too late for full evacuation," Kael said as he watched the sky. "We brace."
Sarya stood still.
The warmth inside her chest was no longer gentle.
It burned.
Not painfully.
Urgently.
