The opening of the guardian's eyes was not a sudden event. It was a slow, geological process, a grinding of continents that sent a profound, soul-shaking tremor through the very foundations of Y'ha-nthlei. The world shuddered, and the oppressive, maddening whispers that filled the air coalesced for a moment into a single, coherent thought that was not a word, but a feeling: the feeling of being noticed.
Then, the entry vortex, the swirling maw that had swallowed the world's most powerful guilds, pulsed violently. Its energies, no longer stable, erupted inwards. The ground beneath Edward's feet bucked and split apart. He had a split-second to shout a warning, "Scatter!" before a wave of pure, disorienting force ripped through his team.
