The evolution was no longer moving along a smooth, steady line.
It had begun to show small ripples, patterns that were not entirely in harmony—not as an immediate threat, but as a sign that something far more complex was taking shape.
Sophia sensed it as a subtle tension arising amidst interactions that had previously felt stable and predictable.
She did not shift her focus away.
Instead, she delved even deeper.
"There is a distinct shift beginning to make itself felt," she said softly.
Beside her, Adrian Blackwood narrowed his eyes. "It is more than just simple variation."
Daniel drew a sharp breath. "I feel it too. Several patterns are no longer following the same familiar rhythm."
Leonard Graves let out a short, dry laugh. "Friction has finally appeared."
Silence settled over them.
Yet this time,
It was not empty or hollow.
It was filled with tangible, rising tension.
Sophia closed her eyes.
She dove deeper into the underlying currents.
And there,
