The space did not move.
For the first time since Adrian stepped into this higher layer, nothing shifted, nothing reacted, nothing adjusted around him. There was no pressure forcing him to act, no distortion pushing him to adapt, no presence overwhelming him into response.
There was only—
Silence.
Not empty.
Not distant.
Waiting.
"…Now you decide."
The figure's words remained.
Not echoing.
Not repeating.
Present.
Adrian stood still.
Not because he didn't know what to do.
But because—
For the first time—
There wasn't a correct answer.
Before this moment, every step he had taken had been guided by something. The system, the bond, the environment, the opponent—there had always been something to react to, something to overcome, something to understand.
But now—
There was nothing.
No direction.
No structure.
No rule.
Only choice.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
The bond pulsed faintly within him.
Not guiding.
Not pushing.
Waiting.
