The tension filling the room was no longer just measurable pressure, but something that had begun to creep into their minds.
Sophia stood motionless, her eyes fixed on the path they had just touched.
The message was still etched clearly, not as an ordinary threat, but a warning that their opponent was not only reading them, but also responding faster than they had anticipated.
Beside her, Adrian Blackwood observed in silence, but his focus was now sharper than ever before.
"He is not just following," he said softly.
"He is starting to control the rhythm."
Daniel immediately adjusted his position over the system, his eyes moving rapidly to read the changes that were beginning to appear.
"There is a small anomaly," he said.
"In the path we opened."
Sophia turned slightly.
"What is it."
Daniel zoomed in on the screen.
"He didn't just enter.
He left something behind."
Silence fell.
Not because they didn't understand.
But because they were beginning to realize.
