The shift didn't happen all at once.
It crept in.
Lucas noticed it the next morning during drills, though at first he couldn't quite place what felt off. The training hall looked the same as it had the night before. Projection grids lit the floor, students moved through rotations, and the steady rhythm of practice filled the air.
But something underneath that rhythm had changed.
He saw it in the way people entered formations.
Before, teams stepped into position with a shared understanding. There was a moment—brief but clear—where everyone aligned before the first wave began.
That moment was missing now.
Lucas stood near the barrier rail, watching a group of B-tier students prepare for a cycle. One of them adjusted their stance twice before the projection system activated. Another glanced at their teammate like they expected disagreement.
The wave rose.
They handled it.
Clean.
But the movement felt… tighter.
Less natural.
Lucas frowned.
"You see it?"
