The answer did not wait.It arrived.Not through the door.Not with a dramatic entrance.But through the world itself.Aria felt it first in the floor beneath her feet—a subtle shift, like the ground had just leaned slightly off its axis. The music stuttered for half a beat, then continued. A light above the bar flickered, steadied, then dimmed just enough to feel intentional.Not failure.Adjustment.Damien’s hand closed around hers.Not tight.Not controlling.Anchoring.“It’s inside,” he said.Aria nodded once.“Yes.”Liam stepped closer, eyes scanning the room with a different kind of focus now—not looking for movement, but for disruption.“Where?”Aria didn’t point.She didn’t need to.“It’s not in one place,” she said quietly.A pause.“It’s using everything.”The man in front of them—still calm, still observant—tilted his head slightly.“Good,” he murmured. “You feel it.”Aria’s gaze sharpened.“I understand it.”That mattered more.Because this—This wasn’t chaos.This was con
Read more