The sound came first.
A low, bone-deep groan, like mountains grinding against each other. The Pane wasn't just cracking anymore—it was trembling.
Ren's Thorn still burned in his grip, silver veins racing up his arm, but even the weapon seemed uncertain. The girl beyond the glass—his consequence—stood calm in the chaos, her shards swirling like a constellation gone mad.
"Do you feel it?" she asked. Her voice was low, nearly drowned out by the rumbling around them. "The Pane isn't watching anymore. It's breaking."
Ren spat blood onto the fractured floor and raised his weapon. "Good. Let it fall apart."
Her eyes softened, almost pitying. "You don't understand. If the Pane collapses, everything it holds collapses too. Including you. Including me."
The world screamed.
