The change did not wait.
It did not build slowly or give them time to settle into understanding. Whatever had begun as a single disturbance, something isolated and almost experimental, no longer remained contained.
It spread.
Not across distance—
But across interaction.
The Gurukul courtyard, once defined by rhythm and discipline, now carried something beneath it, something that could not be measured by movement or seen through awareness. The air itself felt layered, as if two different realities were overlapping, one stable, one shifting, both existing at the same time.
Karna stood at the center of the ground.
Still.
Grounded.
Not observing the students.
Not scanning the space.
Because he already knew—
Looking would not help.
Behind him, Duryodhana exhaled slowly, his stance firm, but his eyes sharper than before.
"It's different today."
Karna nodded.
"Yes."
A pause.
"It's not focused on one point anymore."
Duryodhana tightened his grip on the mace.
