It didn't happen in the center.
Lucas expected that, if something went wrong, it would be obvious. The middle of the formation, the place where everything converged, where mistakes had the most impact.
That's where you watched.
That's where you focused.
So when it broke, it didn't happen there.
It happened at the edge.
Lucas almost missed it.
The rotation had been running clean for two full cycles. Not perfect, but steady in a way that let people settle into their roles without thinking too much about them. That was always the risk.
He was positioned slightly off-center, not anchoring, not leading, just holding his lane and adjusting where needed.
Tomas was two steps to his right.
Raisel was across the grid, barely visible through the shifting projections.
Everything felt… controlled.
Then something shifted at the far left.
Not the projection.
A person.
