The world froze. It didn't pause literally, but the terrifying atmospheric shift made it feel close enough. The exact millisecond Caelum spoke those four words, every reaction around the academy plaza became immediate, violent, and deeply instinctive.
That sudden panic alone told Orion how dangerous the situation had become. The individuals reacting weren't weak or uninitiated; they were ancient founders, seasoned Hunters who had fought impossible anomalies for centuries, a hardened Sovereign survivor who had endured fifteen years of psychological nightmares, and the Old Bastard himself. Yet every single one of them shared the exact same baseline response: raw, unadulterated fear.
"I remember the lock."
The words echoed across the broken flagstones. They were simple, calm, and entirely final.
