The hall felt quieter than it should have been. Not silent, not empty, just… muted. Conversations still happened, footsteps still echoed across the floor, but everything sounded thinner, like the weight behind it had been drained out. Lucas noticed it right away, though he couldn't explain why. It wasn't something you could point at. It was something you felt and then kept feeling, even when you tried to ignore it.
He stepped inside without slowing this time. There wasn't anything to search for anymore, at least not in the way he used to. The patterns had stopped announcing themselves. The shifts didn't give warnings. Trying to anticipate anything before it happened felt pointless.
Tomas walked beside him, hands tucked into his sleeves, gaze drifting without landing anywhere for long. "Feels… weird," he said after a moment.
Lucas glanced at him. "Yeah."
Tomas frowned. "Not bad. Just… off."
