The academy grounds felt different after the peace period stretched into months. Logan stood on a high overlook reviewing global gate maps. Patterns had shifted. Residual instabilities no longer scattered randomly. They clustered around specific nodes. Nodes that aligned with locations he had influenced in prior missions. The system flagged the correlation. Something larger stirred beneath the surface.
Daenerys joined him. Her expression mirrored his concern. "The threads are tightening again. My networks detect faint compulsions in peripheral reports. Not strong enough to act but present."
They gathered the team in a secure briefing room. Ethan leaned against the wall arms crossed. Luna projected spatial overlays. Evelyn analyzed elemental signatures. Snow paced restlessly. Logan outlined the new pattern. "We investigate the central node directly. No standard mission protocols. This feels personal."
