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The mountain's breath changed when Kai stepped out of the egg chamber.
Inside, the air had been warm and round, full of close heartbeats and patient hunger. Outside, the sound sharpened — boots on stone, shield edges touching, the low murmur of men not sure yet if this day would be the one that took them apart.
Luna and Akayoroi came with him. The door-stone sealed behind them with a soft, final cough of shifting rock, closing Miryam and the eggs into the quiet they needed.
The corridor up toward the central hall felt tighter than usual, more crowded with meaning than bodies. Every small noise had a job. Drones posted in side-niches straightened as he passed; some dipped their antennae, some did not move at all because staying still was the best salute they knew. The Sovereign Soul Net hummed like a muted string at the back of his mind — lanes quiet but ready.
