The light of dawn fractured against the horizon of the First Realm, spilling hues of violet and sapphire across the boundless pins. Towers of obsidian gss jutted from the surface like the fingers of ancient gods, each pulsating with threads of luminescent energy. Here, the ws of physics bent to the will of thought, and reality was as malleable as memory.

  Echo drifted along the Veil's edge, his form flickering with static as he moved. This was his domain—the raw boundary where chaos kissed order. He stretched out a hand, watching as his fingertips danced with translucent arcs of energy, bending and splintering in unpredictable waves. Beneath his touch, the Veil rippled, revealing glimpses of distant worlds shimmering just beyond reach.

  “Still poking at the edges, I see.”

  Gideon’s voice came from behind him, sharp and steady. Echo turned, catching her silhouette against the rising light. She walked with precision, each step causing the ground beneath her to solidify, ripples of light stabilizing in her wake.

  “Just testing the seams,” Echo replied with a grin. “Wouldn’t want them to fray.”

  Gideon crossed her arms, her eyes scanning the horizon. “We can’t afford fractures right now. Not with what’s coming.”

  Echo’s grin faded, repced with a flicker of curiosity. “You’re still on about that anomaly?”

  Gideon nodded, her gaze unyielding. “The threads are unraveling, Echo. This isn’t just another shift. It’s...different.”

  Echo’s eyes brightened with something like anticipation. “Different is good.”

  “Not this time,” she replied, and for the first time, Echo saw a shadow of doubt flicker across her expression.

  The Veil shimmered between them, whispering secrets of the unknown. And somewhere, just beyond their grasp, the anomaly stirred, waiting to be born.