Rex initiated the sequence with the clinical detachment of a surgeon cutting into living tissue. Temporal Stop.
The world didn't just freeze; it died. The cascade of sound, movement, and life evaporated in an instant.
The mechanism was flawless: the navigation component stolen from Theo's designation acted as the perfect mirror.
Through his Full Potential Adaptation, Rex had already experienced the initial shock of the temporal freeze that first contact shudder, where reality stutters before the mind catches up.
But now, the adaptation had fully extended its coverage, stitching his consciousness into the frozen moment.
Two seconds of absolute, terrifying stillness. Then, the adaptation locked in.
Rex began to move. He walked through the silent city like a ghost haunting a museum of corpses.
Pigeons were suspended mid-flight, their wings locked in impossible angles, feathers frozen in the air like shards of glass.
