The room no longer held its shape.
Stone had split where the walls failed, the floor breaking into uneven slabs that tilted toward open air. Cold night wind pushed through the gaps and carried dust out into the dark. The cube still stood near the center, scorched along its edges. Its panels sat crooked, the hum faltering and uneven.
Vencian and Seris were gone.
The space they left felt wrong, like a sound cut off mid-note.
Malox moved first.
He went straight to the cube and grabbed it. His fingers dug into the metal as if pressure alone might wake it. He circled once, eyes sharp, checking the space around it. He stepped closer, then closer again, as if distance itself was the problem. His jaw was tight, breath held low, anger pressed inward under control.
Therell followed more slowly.
