John was entirely oblivious to the shifting dynamics back at his own base. As he started his travel towards the Hiveminds territory, he would occasionally open the map to check on his friends, seeing them working normally.
Even this morning, as he began his final approach toward the Bulltors' borders, he had watched their green icons gather around the lake for breakfast before resuming the clearing of the fog and collecting the cores.
He had no inkling that they intended to abandon the safety of the silver walls the moment the last part of the purple fog vanished.
He couldn't have guessed that this simple action, born of their collective anxiety and loyalty, would soon trigger a massive, unexpected sequence of events that would alter the future course of the entire trial, shifting everything away from his initial plans.
