"You wouldn't," Selene said. "You were inside the densest zone. It behaves differently there."
Nyxa shifted beside Ren. "It's hard to hear."
"Ohh! I think that's normal," Ren said. "People fill gaps."
Ilyas approached Ervin, voice low but not hidden. "Eastern Watch is mobilizing reserves. They want to know if they should pull civilians back now or wait."
Ervin didn't answer immediately.
He looked around the yard. At bandaged arms. At cracked shields leaned against stone. At Ren, standing when he should probably be sitting.
"Tell them to prepare shelters," Ervin said finally. "No forced movement yet. If we move people too early, roads clog. Then when it really hits, they're trapped."
Ilyas nodded. "Then we will relay."
Another message came in—this one not sealed, just hastily written.
"Merchant guilds suspending long routes," the archivist read. "Compass stones unreliable past midline. Insurance voided."
