The golden crease in the air did not open like a gate—it unfolded like a page someone had pressed too hard against.
Light didn't spill out.It bled, thin and deliberate, forming trails that clung to the air like ink refusing to dry.
I stepped closer.
And the world leaned with me.
Literally leaned—a subtle tilt of gravity, a gentle nudge of wind, the faint bending of sound as if everything was arranging itself to hear what I would say.
The girl wobbled beside me.
Her knees buckled.
I caught her before she hit the ground.
"Easy," I said. "Deep breaths."
Her breaths came out like broken paper—thin, trembling, unsteady.
"Ishaan… it's pulling on you."
"I know."
"And pushing me away."
I knew that too.
✦
The Narrative Node pulsed, responding to my presence like a heartbeat syncing to mine.
[ System Notice: Draft Identity — Confirmed. ][ Recognized Draft privileges — Initializing. ]
