The world did not return to what it was.
It couldn't.
Even after the horizon sealed itself, even after the vast presence beyond it withdrew just enough for the pressure to ease, something fundamental had changed. The air still felt heavier than before—not suffocating, not unbearable, but different. Like a space that had been touched by something too large to fully leave.
Liora stood where she was, unmoving.
Her breathing had stabilized, her posture steady, but her awareness had not settled. The connection between her and the world had returned, but it no longer felt fragile or reactive.
It felt… aware.
Not alive.
But no longer empty.
The ground beneath her feet held firm now, no longer shifting with every stray thought. The horizon remained closed, its edges no longer tearing or flickering, but there was a faint tension there—a thin, invisible boundary that she could feel if she focused.
Like a door that had been shut.
Not locked.
Just… watched.
