The arrival did not announce itself.
That was the first problem.
There was no flash, no sound, no visible disruption. The chamber behaved as though nothing unusual were happening, which was misleading at best.
Edrin Vale noticed immediately. Arrivals, in his experience, announced themselves. Even failures showed some enthusiasm. Silence suggested confidence, and confidence was rarely accidental.
Mireya Quill was already watching the space beyond the circle. Her expression suggested she had accepted the situation before understanding it.
Tomas shifted his weight. Something was present. The air held itself too carefully, as though respecting rules it had not been given.
Iseult Crowe remained seated. She had not expected this. She had simply not excluded it.
The temperature changed slightly. Enough to be noticed. Not enough to justify alarm.
Then a figure appeared where no one had been standing moments before.
Not summoned exactly — clarified.
The circle did not react. This displeased Edrin.
The figure stood calmly, observing them with the patience of someone waiting to be addressed.
Mireya inclined her head first. Polite. Correct.
The figure smiled.
That made things worse.
You summoned, it said, without accusation.
The voice was ordinary. This, too, was unsettling.
The procedure had been precise, Edrin replied. The outcome was expected.
Expected by whom.
By the structure. By the work.
The figure considered this. Then acknowledged it.
Mireya felt the discomfort of language recognizing itself too clearly. Invitations were not commands. They implied consent.
She asked whether the invitation had been accepted.
Of course, the figure replied.
Iseult closed her notebook again.
Then she asked the question they had all been avoiding.
Who, exactly, had accepted.
The figure regarded her with mild approval.
Someone qualified.
The circle dimmed slightly, as if embarrassed.
For the first time that evening, Edrin felt a theory begin to behave independently.