The silence of the cosmos felt different. Kael sensed it — the way prey knows when the predator's eyes are upon it.
And then it was there.
Not a body, not a form — only presence. A gaze from beyond the veil, burning into him, measuring his worth.
> [System Error: Unauthorized Observation Detected.]
The System glitched, lines of code bleeding into his vision. And a voice, older than eternity, drifted into his skull:
"Your steps resound louder than you think, little devourer. Continue… and the veil will tear."
The presence withdrew. The silence returned. But Kael's heart had already understood the truth: he was being hunted.
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