They thought the fifth world was quiet.
But the quiet was just an empty space waiting for a new sound. And it came—not from within, but from without.
Reed woke up without knowing when he'd fallen asleep. The world hadn't changed in form, but the air had changed in taste. Rina was still sleeping beside him, her breathing slow, her hand gripping the hem of his robe like an anchor.
But Shia stood a few paces away, staring at the horizon that was now beginning to form faint symbols in the air—signs that this world was being rewritten… by something other than them.
Reed stood slowly. His steps were barely audible, but Shia spoke without turning her head.
"Something's coming in."
Reed moved closer. He felt it too. Not a creature. Not a wound. But a presence that hadn't grown out of this world. Something from outside—from a universe that wasn't ready to give up control.
"Faction," Reed murmured. "Or what was left of it."
