The air near the Root had changed.
It was thicker now — not with smoke or heat, but with pressure. Like the world itself was bracing for something.
Rivan stood at the edge of the great fracture, the mouth of the Womb's outer threshold. It yawned wide before him, a spiral of obsidian steps and fused earth that led down into pitch black.
[System Alert: Core Resonance Detected – Entry Point Synced]
[Warning: Environmental Signature: Hostile | Temperature: Unstable | Radiation: Low Pulse | Mental Interference: Moderate]
Selina adjusted her flame ward, eyes narrowed. "It's deeper than expected. The pulse isn't just reacting — it's pulling."
Kael crouched by the entrance, flicking a rock into the darkness. It vanished. No echo. "Void rules apply. No reflections, no sound bounce. This is Crown terraformed."
Rivan gritted his teeth. "And whatever's down there... it was meant to stay down there."
